Aisha Buhari Cup: Waldrum Name 25 Players For Tournament, Recalls Oparanozie

By Akinwale Kasali

Super Falcons of Nigeria Coach, Randy Waldrum, has opened camp at Vienna, Austria, for the Aisha Buhari Cup competition.

Interestingly, Coach Waldrum has recalled striker, Desire Oparanozie  into the Super Falcons fold after a long absence from the team.

The Super Falcons  are camped at the Event Hotel Pyramide in Vienna as they get ready to host the United States of America, Ghana, Morocco, South Africa and Cameroon for the six-nation tourney that will take place in Lagos in September.

The competition is organised in honour of Nigeria’s First Lady, Aisha Buhari, and it will be a week-long event in the South-western part of the country.

Waldrum handed debut call-ups to the Ijeh sisters (Josephine and Evelyn) who both play for Sweden’s BK Hacken alongside Leicester City’s Ashleigh Plumptre who declared her intention to represent the nine-time African champions in June.

The Aisha Buhari Cup is expected to get the Super Falcons ready for the 2022 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations qualifiers against Ghana in October, after they failed to register a win in three matches at the US Summer Series last month.

Captain of the team and Barcelona Football Club of Spain’s  best, Asisat Oshoala is a notable absentee from the team at the training camp in Austria, which is expected to last for eight days.

At the Invitational series weeks back at the United States of America, the Super Falcons lost 1-0 and 2-0 to Jamaica and the USA respectively, playing a 3-3 draw with Portugal, to end the tournament with just a Point.

FULL SQUAD:

Goalkeepers: Tochukwu Oluehi (CD Pozoalbense, Spain); Chiamaka Nnadozie (Paris FC, France); Patience Okeke (Bayelsa Queens); Yewande Balogun (California Storm, USA).

Defenders: Glory Ogbonna (Edo Queens); Osinachi Ohale (Madrid CFF, Spain); Esther Ogbonna (Edo Queens); Chidinma Okeke (Madrid CFF, Spain); Onyinyechi Zogg (FC Zurich, Switzerland); Nicole Payne (West Virginia University, USA); Michelle Alozie (Houston Dash Reserves, USA); Megan Ashleigh (Leicester City, England); Josephine Ijeh (BK Hacken, Sweden)

Midfielders: Rita Chikwelu (Madrid CFF, Spain); Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene (Eskilstuna United, Sweden); Toni Payne (Sevilla FC, Spain); Mowaninuola Dada (Watford FC, England)

Forwards: Rasheedat Ajibade (Atletico Madrid, Spain); Francisca Ordega (Levante UD, Spain); Gift Monday (FC Robo Queens); Joy Bokiri (Bayelsa Queens); Uchenna Kanu (Linkopings FC, Sweden); Ebere Orji (Sundsvall DFF, Sweden); Ini-Abasi Umotong (Lewes FC, England); Evelyn Ijeh (BK Hacken, Sweden); Desire Oparanozie (FC Dijon, France