Imo state has continued to maintain its prowess and dominance in the nations female football following the increase on the number of national team players especially the Super Falcons.
This increase was necessitated by the recent invitation of Nasarawa Amazon’s Imo state born left back, Joy Duru ‘Baba’ to the Super Falcons camp ahead of their Morocco 2022 final round qualifiers for the 12th edition of the Women Africa Cup of Nations.
This means that the Eziama in Isiala Mbano born left back who has also played for the Under 20 National team will joins her colleagues, Chiamaka Nnado and Desire Oparanozie in the team.
Recall that Coach Randy Waldrum selected an equal blend of home-based and overseas-based professionals for the camping, 15 home-based and 15 foreign-based stars.
Leading the home girls are forwards, Gift Monday and Vivian Ikechukwu who scored two goals each during the Aisha Buhari Invitational Tournament in Lagos in September, as well as goalkeeper, Onyinyechukwu Okeke, defenders, Joy Duru, Akudo Ogbonna, midfielder Goodness Onyebuchi and forward Mary-Ann Ezenagu.
Defender Onome Ebi leads the overseas-based players, alongside midfielder Rasheedat Ajibade, defenders Patricia George and Ashley Plumptre, and forward Desire Oparanozie. The captain, Asisat Oshoala is absent because of an injury copped in action with Barcelona Fenemeni.
The camp comes a few months after a similar camping programme in the Austrian capital, Vienna, and towards the end of what has been a busy year for the Falcons, in which they also participated in the Turkish Women’s Cup Tournament, the USWNT Summer Series in the United States of America and the Aisha Buhari Invitational Tournament in Lagos.
The team has reached the final round of the 12th Women AFCON qualifiers after a 2-1 aggregate defeat of arch-rivals, Ghana. They will confront another strong West African side, Cote d’Ivoire for a place in Morocco.
The final round of qualifiers will hold in February next year, with the first leg taking place in Lagos.
The 30 invited players
Goalkeepers: Onyinyechukwu Okeke (Bayelsa Queens); Ibubeleye Whyte (Rivers Angels); Uchenna Chukwu (Nasarawa Amazons)
Defenders: Onome Ebi (Minsk FC, Belarus); Maureen Okpala (Nasarawa Amazons); Patricia George (SC Sand, Germany); Ashley Plumptre (Leicester City, England); Miracle Joseph (Bayelsa Queens); Joy Duru (Nasarawa Amazons); Nicole Payne (West Virginia University, USA); Michelle Alozie (Houston Dash, USA); Glory Edet (Bayelsa Queens); Akudo Ogbonna (Edo Queens)
Midfielders: Adekite Dada (Watford FC, England); Peace Efih (Kiryat Gat, Israel); Yetunde Aluko (WFC Ramat Hasharon, Israel); Amanda Mbadinuju (Bayelsa Queens); Goodness Onyebuchi (Edo Queens); Grace Igboamalu (Bayelsa Queens); Toni Oyedupe Payne (Sevilla FC, Spain); Regina Otu (Minsk FC, Belarus); Christy Ucheibe (Minsk FC, Belarus)
