The U-20 Women national Team, Falconets, will fly out of Abuja on Thursday for the first leg of a 2016 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifying fixture against the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Coach Peter Dedevbo has selected 18 players to fly Nigeria’s flag in Sunday’s match at the Tata Raphael Stadium in Kinshasa. The team will travel aboard an Ethiopia Airline flight.
Chinaza Uchendu, who scored for the Super Falcons at the recently –concluded women’s football tournament of the 11th All-Africa Games in Brazzaville, headlines a list that also includes goalkeeper Sandra Chiichii, defenders Olubunmi Elijah and Ugochi Emenayo, midfielders Joy Bokiri and Tessy Biahwo and forwards Chinwendu Ihezuo, Uchenna Kanu and Yetunde Adeboyejo.
In their second round qualifying fixture, the Falconets, runner-up at the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Canada, whipped their Liberian counterparts 14-1 on aggregate, winning 7-0 in Monrovia and 7-1 in Abuja.
The Nigeria delegation will be led by Member of the NFF Executive Committee and Chairperson of the Nigeria Women Football League, Mrs Dilichukwu Onyedinma.
FIT & READY – Golden Eaglets training ahead of saturday’s match
Golden Eaglets’ captain, Kelechi Nwakali and gangling striker, Victor Osimhen is confident of opening Nigeria’s 2015 African Championship account on a winning note on Saturday.
Osimhen is undoubtedly Golden Eaglets’ inform striker based on recent performance after he scored a brace in the team’s 4-2 win against Egypt in Cairo early this month. He is also one of the team’s top scorers-jointly in second position with Suleiman Abdullahi on six goals and behind Kehinde Ayinde on seven.
“My focus now is on the match against Congo (Democratic Republic) and that has always been my style days before an important game,” yelled Victor.
“The good thing is that we have good attacking force in this team and my prayer is that I should be one of our goal scorers against Congo DR.”
The Golden Eaglets have scored an average of three goals per match after amassing an impressive 63 goals in 21 matches under the spell of Coach Emmanuel Amuneke (MON).
Yet Nwakali, who is not far away on the team’s top scorers’ list with four goals including an unforgettable ‘intercontinental ballistic missile’ in the 2-1 win against Abuja College of Football in April, is backing Osimhen to be amongst the goals against the Junior Leopards.
“If there is any player I’m sure of scoring a goal at least against Congo DR, it is Victor because he has improved tremendously,” sai Nwakali.
“One other thing I’m also sure about of this match is that we are going to win by the special grace of God.”
He added that anybody fielded against Congo DR on Saturday would do more than enough to ensure the success of the team insisting that the present Golden Eaglets are as gifted as their predecessors that won the FIFA Under-17 World Cup last year.
Eaglets’ captain with Ambassador Grant Ehiobuche
Congo DR drags Eaglets to Tata Raphael…CAF picks Cameroonian officials
With the works still ongoing at their main stadium, the artificial surface of Tata Raphael stadium in Kinshasa will host Golden Eaglets and Congo Democratic Republic’s much anticipated 2015 Under-17 African Championship qualifier on Saturday.
The match was earlier scheduled for the TP Mazembe Stadium in Lubumbashi but the Federation of Congolese Football Association (FECOFA) only informed the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) about the changes few days before the Golden Eaglets’ departure.
The Tata Raphael Stadium is the same venue local side; AS Vita Club humbled Kano Pillars 3-1 in an African Champions League fixture in February. Meanwhile, the continental soccer ruling body, CAF, has picked officials from Cameroon to handle the second round – first leg fixture expected to be watched by a capacity crowd.
The centre referee would be 31-year-old Antoine Max Depadoux Effa Essouma who became an international referee in 2013 with his compatriots, 40-year-old Thierry Bruno Tocke and 36-year-old Hamadou Sadou serving as first and second assistants respectively.
The fourth official is 36-year-old Mandeng Bakalay Cosmas Jerome while Michel Gasingwa from Rwanda would serve as Match Commissioner.
Dignitaries expected to watch the match include Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Congo DR, Dr.
Grant Ehiobuche, Governor of Kinshasa City, Mayor of Kalamu Community, DR Congo’s Minister of Youth Matters and sports as well as executive members of FECOFA.
In the meantime, Ambassador Ehiobuche has equivocally told the Golden Eaglets to go out for victory against the home team: “I would be there with you and that means, President Goodluck Jonathan (GCFR) is also with you in spirit,” he said at the team’s lunch time on Friday.
“Please, grant us victory against Congo DR because I was so ashamed when our team, Kano Pillars was beaten here the last time. You are our future hope and I want you to prove that by beaten Congo DR on Saturday, “he added.
Golden Eaglets pose in front of their hotel camp in Kinshasha
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