NFF Congratulates Udoh, Oshoala

The Nigeria Football Federation has congratulated the duo of FIFA-badged referee Ferdinand Udoh and African Woman Player of the Year Asisat Oshoala for deserved strides they made in the past few days.

Udoh, 28, and much respected for his athletism, firmness and strict application of the rules of the game, has been selected by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as one of the referees for the 11th African U-17 Championship taking place in Niger Republic, 15th February – 1st March, 2015.

Oshoala, Most Valuable Player of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup finals in Canada, and also undisputable choice for same honour at the African Women Championship in Namibia last year, signed a professional contract with Liverpool Ladies Football Club of England.

NFF Acting President, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi, lauded the duo and charged them to see their strides as calls to put in even more effort and diligence into their different vocations.

“The NFF is happy with the selection of Ferdinand Udoh for the African U-17 Championship in Niger. This underscores that the integrated efforts we are making for the general improvement of refereeing in Nigeri has not gone unnoticed by the organisations that matter.

“For some years now, we have not had a Nigerian centre referee at major competitions. Now, Udoh is starting with the U-17, which we know is a stepping stone to further glory and much greater glory. Let me reiterate that our objective is to see a Nigerian referee, or referees, officiate at the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals in Russia.

Asisat Oshoala Most Valuable Player (MVP) and the Golden Boot winner at FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada

“We congratulate Oshoala who is definitely the new poster girl of Nigeria’s women football. Her contract with Liverpool Ladies will certainly encourage her mates in the National Team to also put in more efforts to attract the attention of the best clubs in the world.”

Oshoala was duly crowned the African Woman Player of the Year and Youth Player of the Year at the Glo-Caf African Football Awards in Lagos earlier this month, with Nigeria also claiming the Women National of the Year diadem.

Ferdinand Anietie Udoh, born in 1987, became a FIFA-badged referee in 2013.

Nigeria’s leading assistant referee, Peter Edibi, is presently working at the 30th Africa Cup of Nations finals in Equatorial Guinea.

Dedevbo Lists Oshoala, 20 Others For Canada 2014 As Team Departs For Canada Thursday

Head Coach, Peter Dedevbo has released his final list of 21 players for this year’s FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup finals, including Super Falcons’ ace Asisat Oshoala and former U-17 stars Patience Okaeme, Halimatu Ayinde, Jiroro Idike, Uchenna Kanu and Yetunde Adeboyejo.

There are three goalkeepers, seven defenders, five midfielders and six strikers in the squad that Dedevbo believes will stun the world in Canada.

Dedevbo, who steered the U-17 girls, Flamingoes, to the quarter finals at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup finals in Trinidad and Tobago in 2010 and in Azerbaijan in 2012, has also included US –based college star Courtney Dike, younger sister of Super Eagles’ forward Bright Dike.

The tall and spritely forward from Oklahoma State University is the only overseas –based player in the squad.

The team will depart for Moncton, Canada through Frankfurt in two batches aboard Lufthansa Airlines flight on Thursday and Friday, from Abuja.

Nigeria has featured in every edition of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, since the inaugural edition, also in Canada, in 2002. The Falconets reached the Final in Germany four years ago and also made the semi finals in Japan in 2012. This year, Dedevbo’s maidens will clash with Mexico, Korea Republic and England in Group C, with the first two games coming up in Moncton before they travel to Edmonton to slug it out with England.

THE FULL LIST

Goalkeepers: Sandra Chiihii (Ibom Angels); Ibijoke Sangonuga (Inneh Queens); Chiudo Ehiudo (Delta Queens)

Defenders: Ebere Okoye (Nasarawa Amazons); Jiroro Idike (Delta Queens); Maryam Ibrahim (Nasarawa Amazons); Sarah Nnodim (Delta Queens); Ugo Njoku (Rivers Angels); Victoria Aidelomon (Pelican Stars); Gladys Abasi (Ibom Angels)

Midfielders: Asisat Oshoala (Rivers Angels); Patience Okaeme (Delta Queens); Halimatu Ayinde (Delta Queens); Yetunde Adeboyejo (Bayelsa Queens); Osarenoma Igbinovia (Inneh Queens)

Forwards: Loveth Ayila (Makwada Babes); Courtney Dike (Oklahoma State University, USA); Uchenna Kanu (Pelican Stars); Yetunde Aluko (Sunshine Queens); Chinwendu Ihezuo (Pelican Stars); Uchechi Sunday (Rivers Angels)

Falconets depart for U-20 Women’s World Cup

The U-20 Women National Team, also known as Falconets, flew out of the country on Monday for a 24 –day final camping programme in Canada ahead of this year’s FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup finals taking place in the same country.

A delegation of 24 players and 11 officials, led by NFF Chief Technical Officer, Siji Lagunju, flew aboard a Lufthansa Airline airplane from Abuja to Frankfurt, from where it would connect another flight to Moncton, Canada.

Head Coach Peter Dedevbo said on Monday that his girls are focused on a mission of doing the country and the continent proud in North America.

“We have a squad of able, courageous and confident players and I believe we have the capacity to go all the way in Canada,” Dedevbo said.

It would be recalled that Nigeria has featured in all previous FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup finals since the event was launched in the same country (Canada) 12 years ago, reaching the final in Germany four years ago before losing to hosts Germany.

The Falconets made it to the semi finals of the 2012 finals in Japan.

In Canada, Dedevbo who led the U-17 girls to the FIFA U-17 World Cup finals in Trinidad and Tobago in 2010 and Azerbaijan in 2012, will pump up the Falconets’ spirit for the Group C campaign against Mexico and Korea Republic in Moncton (August 6 and 9 respectively) and; against England in Toronto on August 13.