The Super Falcons will begin their bid for a place at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games without several key players, with Asisat Oshoala and Ashleigh Plumptre among those ruled out of the qualifiers against Comoros. Interim head coach Augustine Eguavoen has been forced to make changes to his squad, with Oshoala requesting to be excused from the matches and Plumptre unavailable after suffering a sprain and ligament injury.
The absence of Oshoala has prompted the call-up of Blessing Okpe, the former Falconets forward who currently plays her club football in Belarus, as her replacement. The Super Falcons will also be without Oluwatosin Demehin and Flourish Sabastine, with the Benfica duo continuing the process of securing their residence permits in Portugal.
Eguavoen has further released 16-year-old Oluwakemi Adegbuyi and Favour Nkwocha from the senior camp to rejoin the Flamingos ahead of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco. Adegbuyi was named MVP of the recently concluded WAFU-B U-17 Girls Cup. Despite the absences, preparations are underway, with 14 players training on Monday evening at the Otunba Dipo Dina International Stadium in Ijebu-Ode. More players are expected to join the squad as the camp builds towards the crucial qualifiers.
Among those still expected are Michelle Alozie, Christy Ucheibe, Jennifer Echegini, captain Rasheedat Ajibade and Gift Monday, alongside several other foreign-based players. Nigeria will face Comoros in the first leg on Friday, before the return fixture on Tuesday at the Remo Stars Stadium.
The two-legged tie marks the beginning of the Super Falcons’ campaign to secure qualification for the 2028 Olympic women’s football tournament in Los Angeles, with Eguavoen’s side needing to navigate the early setback of multiple player absences.
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