The camp of Nigeria’s Super Falcons came alive on Monday as 14 out of the 18 invited players arrived the team’s training camp at Jerez de la Frontera outside Sevilla, Spain.
According to the Team Administrator, Mary Oboduku, 12 players had breakfast with the coaching crew at the team’s Barceló Montecastillo Golf and Resort, and others are expected to hit camp in the coming days.
In a chat with thenff.com, Oboduku said
“We started training on Sunday, and the camp is calm. The players are in very high spirits as they look forward to the tournament in France,”.
Team captain Rasheedat Ajibade and first-choice goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie were amongst the early birds that arrived camp.
Other players in camp include goalkeeper Tochukwu Oluehi, defenders Chidinma Okeke and Nicole Payne, midfielders Christy Ucheibe, Toni Payne, Deborah Abiodun and Jennifer Echegini, and forward Esther Okoronkwo.
Alternate players, goalkeeper Morufa Ademola and forward Gift Monday are also in camp.
Defenders Osinachi Ohale and Michelle Alozie arrived the team’s hotel on Monday afternoon.
The nine-time African champions, who last played at the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament in China in 2008, will take on reigning Olympic champions Canada in a training match in Sevilla on Wednesday, 17th July.
In their last outing at the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament, the Super Falcons lost 0-1 to Korea Democratic People’s Republic, 0-1 to Germany and 1-3 to eventual silver medalists Brazil.
Nigeria’s best outing – so far – at the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament was at Athens 2004, where they finished in 6th place after exiting the tournament in the quarter-finals.
Nigeria has been pitted in Group C with Japan, Spain, and Brazil.
