Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Beijing Olympics qualifier:Falcon Hits South Africa

The national women's team, Falcons are heading to southern Africa this week ahead of two crucial international games.

Coaches Jossy Lad, Mudashiru Atanda, Rolandson Odeh and Ann Chiejine will lead out the squad to the Beijing Olympics qualifier in Pretoria on Saturday before they make the short trip to Windhoek for an African Championship qualifier on Friday 22nd February.With only three points from their two earlier games, the Falcons need to win their last two games (against South Africa away and Ghana at home) to stand a chance to overhauling table-topping Black Queens in Group A of the African series for the Olympics.

The match against the Banyana Banyana takes place at the Caledonia Stadium in Pretoria on Saturday, and the Falcons will then travel to Windhoek for the tie with Namibia which is billed for Friday next week.

Players on the trip are goalkeepers Precious Dede, Tochukwu Oluehi and Rachael Ayegba, defenders Christie George (Captain), Kikelomo Ajayi, Uluma Jerome, Faith Ikidi, Chima Nwosu, Onome Ebi and Ayisat Yusuf, midfielders Effioanwan Ekpo, Rita Chikwelu, Gift Otuwe, Perpetua Nkwocha and Evelyn Nwabuiko, and strikers Stella Mbachu, Ifeanyi Chiejine, Tawa Ishola, Akudo Iwuagwu and Cynthia Uwak, who recently retained her African Footballer of the Year crown in Lome, Togo.

Meanwhile, Gombe United FC, one of Nigeria's two representatives in this year's CAF Champions League are unsure of making the trip to Democratic Republic of Congo for their first round, first leg duel, as the club management say the state government is yet to release money for the assignment.

It was learnt that as yesterday, the management of the club could not say exactly what would happen, and travelling documents of the players and officials were still in Gombe.The NFA moved in swiftly to call for the passports to be sent to Abuja for visa processing, but it was still not sure whether the state government would release money for the trip.

Gombe United, in their first ever outing in the continent, are due to face Motema Pembe of DR Congo on Sunday in the competition's curtain raiser for this year.

Enyimba FC, reigning League champions, host Diable Noir of Congo Brazzaville at the Aba Township Stadium on Sunday, in another fixture.

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