Super Falcons, the senior national women teams of Nigeria will go toe-to-toe with their Canadian counterparts for the second time in one year today Wednesday, in a closed-doors training match in Malaga, Spain as part of preparations for the Paris Olympics.
Head of Communications, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ademola Olajire, said in a statement on Tuesday that the match will hold at the La Quinta Football Centre in Malaga.
He said the match is part of the two teams’ preparations for the upcoming Paris Olympics will begin at 6:30 p.m. Spanish time (5:30 p.m. Nigerian time).
According to the statement, the match will also draw the curtain on the Super Falcons’ camping programme in Spain.
Both teams were involved in a hard-fought FIFA Women’s World Cup Group B opener at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium in July 2023, with the game ending 0-0.
During that game, Nigeria’s goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie saved a penalty kick by veteran Christine Sinclair, and made 14 other big saves in the encounter.
According to Olajire, the Super Falcons’ coach, Randy Waldrum is unlikely to make many changes from the squad which played that match.
However, defender Ashleigh Plumptre and forward Francisca Ordega, who started that match, are not in Spain.
Waldrum will most likely stick with goalkeeper Nnadozie, defenders Osinachi Ohale, Oluwatosin Demehin and Michelle Alozie (alongside, perhaps Chidinma Okeke), and midfielders Toni Payne, Christy Ucheibe and Deborah Abiodun.
The strike-force may be entirely different, with team captain Rasheedat Ajibade coming in alongside perhaps Uchenna Kanu and Chinwendu Ihezuo.
Ajibade had missed the clash with Canada in Melbourne due to a red card bagged in the 2022 Women’s AFCON semi-final clash with Morocco.
The nine-time African champions will head to France on Thursday, where they will spend a week in further training ahead of their first match of the tournament.
They are to face Brazil at the Stade Bordeaux on July 25.
Nigeria’s other matches in the group phase are against Spain and Japan on July 28 and July 31 respectively, at the Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes.
(NAN)
