<strong><em>Falcons’ forward Folashade Ijamilusi against a Cameroonian player during a friendly game in Yaounde in March this year.</em></strong>
AFOLABI SAHEED OLAWALE
As part of their build-up to the 14th Women Africa Cup of Nations finals which begin in Morocco on Sunday, Cup-holders Nigeria will do battle with Ghana in a friendly match scheduled for Casablanca on Saturday.
The 10-time champions opened camp in Casablanca, Morocco’s industrial and economic capital, on Monday, as final preparations got underway ahead of their first match of Group C against Malawi in Rabat on Tuesday, 28th July.
As at lunch time on Tuesday, a total of 10 players had arrived at the Super Falcons’ hotel in Casablanca, with midfielder Toni Payne, who recently joined Inter Milan Women of Italy from Everton Ladies in England, expected on Wednesday.
With Head Coach Justine Madugu in charge, the Cup favourites headed to the Stade el Arbi Zaouli in Casablanca after lunch on Tuesday for their first training session.
At the team’s Hotel Marriott in Casablanca are captain Rasheedat Ajibade, goalkeepers Chiamaka Nnadozie and Fatima Oloko, defenders Oluwatosin Demehin, Glory Ogbonna, Christy Ucheibe, Shukurat Oladipo and Rofiat Imuran, midfielder Jennifer Echegini and forward Asisat Oshoala.
The friendly encounter with Ghana’s Black Queens, who lost in the final to the Super Falcons in the inaugural edition of the competition that Nigeria hosted in 1998, will also take place at the Stade el Arbi Zaouli, with kick-off set for 4pm.
After playing Malawi on 28th July, the Falcons will also tango with Zambia on Saturday, 1st August and Egypt on Wednesday, 5th August in Group C.
All four semi-finalists at the finals in Morocco will earn automatic slots at next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in Brazil, with the fifth-placed team, to be decided via a playoff game, heading to an intercontinental playoff tournament early next year.
14TH WOMEN AFCON: THE GROUPS
GROUP A (RABAT): Morocco, Algeria, Senegal, Kenya
GROUP B (CASABLANCA): South Africa, Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Tanzania
GROUP C (RABAT): Nigeria, Zambia, Egypt, Malawi
GROUP D (CASABLANCA): Ghana, Cameroon, Mali, Cape Verde
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