BY ANDREW EKEJIUBA
The city of Abuja is agog following the invitation of 35 players of the U-20 girls’ national team by Coach Chris Danjuma for camping ahead of the African qualifying series for the 2022 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup finals, which enters the second round in the third week of September.
The Falconets, runners-up at the FIFA World Cup in 2010 and 2014, were drawn bye to the second round, and will now confront the U-20 girls of the Central African Republic in the first leg scheduled for September 23-25, with the return leg in Nigeria between October 7 and 9.
Equatorial Guinea, which was to battle it out with the Central Africans in the first round, withdrew from the race.
The return leg between the Falconets and the Central African girls will come up same period as the clash between the senior men teams of both countries in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying showdown in Lagos – a Day 3 encounter.
Once done with the fixture against the girls from Central African Republic, the Falconets must negotiate two more rounds successfully to be eligible to participate in the 2022 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup finals to be hosted by Costa Rica and Panama.
Apart from their silver medals in 2010 and 2014, the Falconets also reached the semifinals of the 2012 competition staged in Japan.
The invited players reported at the Chida Hotel, Utako, Abuja on Sunday, August 15, with their training kits, international e-passport, certificate of birth and letter of consent.
The invited players are: Shukurat Baraka (Edo Queens); Nelly Ekeh (Sunshine Queens); Monle Omini (Bayelsa Queens); Linda Jiwara (Confluence Queens); Iyems Etim (Abia Angels); Oluwatosin Demehin (Rivers Angels); Rofiat Imuran (Rivers Angels); Jumoke Anani (Edo Queens); Oluwabunmi Oladeji (Naija Ratels); Omowunmi Oshobukola (Sunshine Queens); Chinemerem Michael (Delta Queens); Sharon Onwere (Skillful Star); Chidinma Ogbuchi (FC Robo Queens); Chidinma Anaele (Imo Angels); Paulina Ali (Naija Ratels); Basirat Amoo (Nasarawa Amazons); Amarachi Odoma (Nasarawa Amazons); Celine Ottah (Bayelsa Queens); Yena Ado (Nasarawa Amazons); Vera Samuel (Royal Queens); Zainab Oladapo (Bayelsa Queens); Esther Onyenezide (FC Robo Queens); Deborah Abiodun (Rivers Angels); Oluwadamilola Kuku (Osun Babes); Chiamaka Nwachukwu (Royal Queens); Joy Jerry (Bayelsa Queens); Blessing Okpe (Rivers Angels); Mercy Idoko (Nasarawa Amazons); Yemisi Samuel (Edo Queens); Tarnum Dooshima (Nasarawa Amazons); Flourish Sebastine (Edo Queens); Martha Peter (Confluence Queens); Juliet Adebowale (Brighton & Hoves Albion UK); Taiwo Lawal (FC Robo Queens) and Joy Omewa (Denmark B93)
