Women’s Nations Cup Qualifier: Nigeria VS Ivory Coast At 4pm Today
Oshoala and Ajibade have 30 goals in Spain but must deliver AWCON ticket for Nigeria.
Super Falcons captain Asisat Oshoala has been in top form for her club side Barcelona Femeni.
Oshoala has 19 goals this season for the Catalan giants as they are well beyond reach in the Spanish Primera División de la Liga de Fútbol Femenino.
Despite missing time due to injury Super Falcons captain, Oshoala leads the golden boot race without taking any penalties.
The exploits of Oshoala have not gone unnoticed earning her praise from the local and international media.
However, another Nigerian is also having an impressive campaign in Spain.
The younger Rasheedat Ajibade has finally settled down in Spain and now producing more consistently.
Ajibade is also among the top scorers in the league this season with nine goals.
Recently Ajibade signed an extension with Atletico Madrid and has scored in back-to-back games just before the international break.
Super Falcons revenge mission
The Super Falcons face a mighty test against west African rivals Ivory Coast. The two-leg battle between the two sides is for a place at the upcoming 2022 Africa Women Cup of Nations (AWCON).
The Super Falcons boast a mighty contingent of stars from Europe but face a tricky Ivory Coast side that is vastly improved.
The Super Falcons edged Ghana to reach the final qualification stage but this will be their biggest test yet.
Ivory Coast made a mockery of the Niger Republic in their last qualification series with a 20-0 scoreline on aggregate.
The Ivory Coast team also come into the clash securing the second leg in Abidjan which puts pressure on the Super Falcons to deliver in Abuja.
Ivory Coast knocked out the Super Falcons in the qualification series for the 2020 Olympics and will be full of confidence ahead of this two-legged fixture.
The Super Falcons are nine-time AWCON winners however the development of women’s football over the last decade means that there are no pushovers.
The Super Falcons were reminded of that when they lost the Aisha Buhari invitational tournament on home soil.
Speaking ahead of the AWCON clash, Super Falcons boss Randy Waldrum stated that he is aware of the threat posed by Ivory Coast.
He said, “Every player in camp is aware of the high importance of these two matches against Cote d’Ivoire.
“We must win to get to the Women’s AFCON where the African teams for the FIFA Women’s World Cup will emerge. It is one step at a time, but we all know that we must win well in Abuja on Friday.”
Veteran defender Onome Ebi was also cautious in her press conference.
She said, “These two matches are going to be tough; they would be like the Final of the Women’s AFCON itself,”
“The Ivorians stopped us from the race to the Olympics. We also know that it is by being in Morocco that we can defend our crown and also qualify for the Women’s World Cup. We are battle ready.”
To qualify, Waldrum will have to tap into the strengths of Oshoala and Ajibade who have a combined 30 goals in Spain this season.
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