Super Falcons forward Asisat Oshoala and seasoned defender Ashleigh Plumptre have been named in Nigeria’s final squad for the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), scheduled to take place in Morocco from July 5 to 26, 2024.
Head coach Justin Madugu on Friday unveiled a 23-player list that includes 11 tournament debutants and three home-based stars. The squad will be captained by Rasheedat Ajibade, who returns alongside midfielders Halimatu Ayinde, Deborah Abiodun, and defenders Michelle Alozie and Oluwatosin Demehin.
Nigeria, nine-time WAFCON champions, are targeting a record-extending 10th title. They are drawn in Group B alongside Tunisia, Algeria, and Botswana.
3 Home-Based Players Included
Three players from the domestic league have made the final squad:
- Goalkeeper Rachael Unachukwu (Nasarawa Amazons)
- Defender Sikiratu Isah (Nasarawa Amazons)
- Defender Miracle Usani (Edo Queens)
These selections show the coaching crew’s confidence in homegrown talent and the need for balance between local and international experience.
As part of their build-up, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has lined up two key friendlies.
- Portugal (June 23) in Lisbon
- Ghana’s Black Queens (June 29)
These matches are seen as vital for testing tactics and final fitness before Nigeria’s WAFCON opener against Tunisia on Sunday, July 6. They will then face Botswana on July 10 and Algeria on July 13.
The top four teams at this year’s tournament will automatically qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. The Super Falcons aim not just to dominate Africa again but to secure a spot in the global showcase.
Super Falcons Squad for WAFCON 2024
Goalkeepers:
- Chiamaka Nnadozie (Free Agent, last at Paris FC, France)
- Tochukwu Oluehi (Shualat Alsharqia FC, Saudi Arabia)
- Rachael Unachukwu (Nasarawa Amazons, Nigeria)
Defenders:
- Osinachi Ohale (Pachuca, Mexico)
- Shukurat Oladipo (AS Roma, Italy)
- Michelle Alozie (Houston Dash, USA)
- Ashleigh Plumptre (Ittihad Ladies FC, Saudi Arabia)
- Sikiratu Isah (Nasarawa Amazons, Nigeria)
- Oluwatosin Demehin (Galatasaray, Turkey)
- Miracle Usani (Edo Queens, Nigeria)
Midfielders:
- Rasheedat Ajibade (Free Agent, last at Atlético Madrid, Spain)
- Halimatu Ayinde (FC Rosenborg, Sweden)
- Deborah Abiodun (Dallas Trinity FC, USA)
- Jennifer Echegini (Paris Saint-Germain, France)
- Toni Payne (Everton Ladies, England)
- Christy Ucheibe (SL Benfica, Portugal)
Forwards:
- Asisat Oshoala (Bay FC, USA)
- Francisca Ordega (Ittihad Ladies Club, Saudi Arabia)
- Chinwendu Ihezuo (Pachuca, Mexico)
- Ifeoma Onumonu (Montpellier FC, France)
- Esther Okoronkwo (AFC Toronto, Canada)
- Omorinsola Babajide (Costa Adeje Tenerife Egatesa, Spain)
- Folashade Ijamilusi (Liaoning Shenyang Shenbei Hefeng, China)
- Chioma Okafor (University of Connecticut, USA)
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