close
Wednesday, August 18, 2021

27 players arrive Falconets’ camp ahead of qualifiers for Costa Rica 2022

Two foreign-based players – one from Denmark and the other from England – are expected to join the camp shortly.

• August 17, 2021
Falconets
Nigeria’s under-20 women’s football team used to illustrate the story

Twenty seven of the invited 35 players for Nigeria’s under-20 women’s football team have arrived camp in Abuja ahead of the 2022 Costa Rica qualifiers.

Christopher Danjuma, the Falconets’ head coach, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja.

Mr Danjuma said two foreign-based players – one from Denmark and the other from England – were also expected to join the camp shortly.

The camp was open ahead of the upcoming African Qualifiers for the 10th FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica from August 10 to August 28, 2022.

The coach explained that the invited players were mostly coming from clubs in the country’s leagues, with several coming from the under-17 squad.

“Most of the players were taken from clubs which played in the NWFL Super Six and Aiteo Cup finals, and I think we are still picking the best of the best according to our ability,” he said.

Danjuma however noted that the players’ performance has been good.

“We have a very young team, and our girls have been doing very well in their various leagues.

“These players are ready to work hard with determination and a display of talents that will make them reach the top of their career.”

He stated that his team was at the moment not facing any challenge. “The Federation is basically doing well.

The accommodation is conducive, and so far there is no complaints yet from any of the players.

They are well relaxed to bring out the best in them.

“Also, with the way we are going with the set of players called to camp, these are the set of players that we will develop as the competition keeps growing on, and they are the group of players that will be a revolution in Nigerian football,’’ Mr Danjuma said.

He pointed out that the technical crew has like four weeks to train and camp the players and he and his colleagues would strive to achieve their aim.

“Our players are good.

So, we will do our best to play to our strength.

We will not underrate any country.

But Nigeria has what it takes to come out victorious against other teams.

We will start playing friendly matches as from Saturday.

“We are still deciding, to know which teams we are going to play against, but we are going to start intensifying efforts to play against the teams around the FCT,’’ the coach said.

The Falconets have drawn bye into the second round where they will face Central African Republic (CAR).

Nigeria have qualified for the World Cup nine times and have finished as runners-up on two occasions (2010 and 2014), and the quarter-finals four times (2004, 2006, 2008 and 2018).

They also finished fourth in 2012 and did not go past the group stage in 2002 and 2016.

More from Peoples Gazette

Sport

Ronaldo slams media’s ‘disrespectful’ rumours of Juventus exist

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner further said stories linking him with clubs in Spanish La Liga and other leagues are unverified, warning against “people playing around with his name

CAF

Sport

CAF releases 2021 Africa Cup of Nations fixtures

To be held in Yaoundé, Cameroon, a total of 24 counties will feature in the competition.

NationWide

Banditry: Pray, buy guns to defend yourselves, Masari tells Nigerians

The governor tasked citizens to emulate the bandits and buy guns to protect themselves

Rivers House of Assembly

Port Harcourt

Rivers House of Assembly pass anti-open grazing bill into law

House members were divided on certain clauses of the bill, such as the one that allows a pathway for cattle in communities.

Economy

Court grants CBN’s request to freeze accounts of Rise Vest, Bamboo, Chaka, others

The CBN said the naira was weaker to the dollar because of the foreign transactions executed by the defendants.

Isa Pantami

Jos

News of 25 Muslims killed in Jos cost Buhari his appetite, says Pantami

Mr Pantami said after speaking with top military chiefs on the matter, the president directed that the perpetrators be prosecuted.