Olympic Qualifier: Oshoala, Plumptre pull out as Falcons begin preparations for Comoros clash

Nigeria’s Super Falcons began preparations for their 2028 Olympic qualifying campaign on Monday with 14 players training in Ikenne, but several key players will miss the two-legged encounter against Comoros.

Defender Ashley Plumptre and forward Asisat Oshoala have been excused from the assignment. Meanwhile, Benfica duo Oluwatosin Demehin and Flourish Sabastine will not join the squad because of resident permit issues.

Plumptre requested to be excused after suffering a sprain and ligament injury, while Oshoala was also granted permission to miss the assignment.

The absences have forced interim head coach Augustine Eguavoen to adjust his squad, with Belarus-based former U20 forward Blessing Okpe called up to replace Oshoala.

Eguavoen has also released two players initially invited for the Olympic qualifiers to the Flamingos.

Oluwakemi Adegbuyi, the Most Valuable Player of the recently concluded WAFU-B U17 Girls Cup competition in Yamoussoukro, and Favour Nkwocha, who featured for the Falconets at the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in Poland, have returned to the U17 team.

The Flamingos are scheduled to leave Nigeria on Wednesday for the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.

14 players train in Ikenne

Despite the withdrawals, Eguavoen had 14 players available for Monday evening’s training session at the Remo Stars Stadium.

Goalkeeper Christiana Uzoma trained alongside defenders Farida Abdulwahab, Tumininu Adeshina, Valentina Uroko, Glory Edet, Shukurat Oladipo and Glory Ogbonna.

Oluchi Omenazu, Joy Igbokwe, Fatimoh Solaty and Suliat Abideen formed the midfield group, while forwards Shakirat Moshood, Blessing Nkor and Sandra John completed the group.

Eleven more players are expected to join the squad as preparations intensify.

Among those expected are goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, defender Michelle Alozie, midfielders Christy Ucheibe, Toni Payne and Jennifer Echegini, as well as captain Rasheedat Ajibade and forward Gift Monday.

Joy Omewa, Janet Akekoromowei and Uchenna Kanu are also expected in camp.

The arrival of the established players will give Eguavoen more options as he works to settle his team ahead of the crucial qualifying tie.

Falcons seek another Olympic appearance

Nigeria returned to the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament at Paris 2024 after a 16-year absence.

The 10-time African champions are now seeking back-to-back appearances at the Games, with Los Angeles 2028 their next target.

The Falcons will host Comoros in the first leg on Friday before the return fixture at the Remo Stars Stadium on Tuesday, 13 October.

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The short turnaround between the two matches leaves Eguavoen with limited preparation time, making the arrival of the remaining players particularly important.

For the Falcons, the immediate objective is to secure a favourable result in the opening encounter and take control of the tie before the return leg.

The Olympic qualifying campaign also gives Nigeria a chance to respond after a disappointing 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign and its subsequent failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.