As confirmed in a press release by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Communications Department, the Nigeria U-20 women’s football team are off to Douala, Cameroon, where they will face their counterparts from the Central African Republic (CAR) in a battle to secure ticket for the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, hosted by Costa Rica.
Why Douala?
Africa’s football governing body, CAF, deemed no Stadium in Central African Republic as fit enough to host an international match – which has forced the country’s national teams to adopt other nations as their ‘home ground’.
Falconets who are Africa’s most successful team at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup finals –have won Silver medals in Germany 2010 and 2014 in Canada, and were semifinalists in Japan 2012 –will on Saturday against CAR commence another race to qualify for the global tournament.
Central African Republic reached this stage of the qualifiers after Equatorial Guinea’s U20 girls withdrew from their preliminary fixture scheduled for last month.
Nigeria have qualified for every edition of the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup since the competition was launched as a U19 tournament in Canada in 2002.
Can they do it again?
Head Coach, Christopher Danjuma has picked his 23-woman squad –from the group that has been training in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja for several weeks – to travel to Douala for the clash against CAR.
Selected 23 Players for Central African Republic clash:
Ayomide Bakare
Monle Oyono
Inyene Etim
Oluwatosin Demehin
Omowunmi Oshobukola
Rofiat Imuran
Jumoke Alani
Angela Michael
Oluwabunmi Oladeji
Oluchi Ohaegbulem
Chidinma Ogbuchi
Rashidat Amoo
Deborah Abiodun
Philomena Yina
Anuoluwapo Salisu
Esther Onyenezide
Mercy Kalu
Joy Jerry
Chioma Sebastine
Taiwo Lawal
Mercy Idoko
Blessing Okpe
Precious Vincent
MOLATsportgist 