Olympics
LA 2028 Olympics qualifiers: Super falcons faces Comoros test as Oshoala, Plumptre withdraw
The Super Falcons begin their race for a place at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games on Friday when they face Comoros in the first leg of their second-round qualifying tie at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne-Remo.
The encounter will also mark Augustine Eguavoen‘s first competitive assignment as interim head coach of the Super Falcons following his appointment to oversee the Olympic qualifiers.
Nigeria will host both legs of the tie, with the return fixture scheduled for Tuesday, 13 October, because Comoros do not have a CAF-approved venue for international matches.
Eguavoen’s preparations have, however, been affected by the withdrawal of several players, including six-time African Player of the Year Asisat Oshoala and defender Ashleigh Plumptre.
Super Falcons build up in Ikenne
The Super Falcons began preparations in Ikenne earlier this week, with 14 players taking part in the first training session on Monday.
The early arrivals included goalkeeper Christiana Uzoma, defenders Farida Abdulwahab, Tumininu Adeshina, Valentina Uroko and Glory Edet, midfielders Joy Igbokwe and Fatimoh Solaty, and forwards Blessing Nkor and Sandra John.
More players subsequently joined the camp as Eguavoen worked towards assembling the squad for Friday’s opening leg.
The interim coach had initially invited 28 players for the assignment, including captain Rasheedat Ajibade, goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, Michelle Alozie, Christy Ucheibe, Jennifer Echegini, Toni Payne and Oshoala.
Key players unavailable
Oshoala has been excused from the assignment, although the Nigeria Football Federation has not disclosed a specific reason for her withdrawal.
Plumptre, meanwhile, asked to be excused because of a ligament injury after returning to the squad following her absence from the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Benfica duo Oluwatosin Demehin and Flourish Sabastine are also unavailable because of residence-permit issues in Portugal.
Eguavoen has also released Flamingos forward Oluwakemi Adegbuyi and Favour Nkwocha to join Nigeria’s U-17 women’s team ahead of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
Adegbuyi was named the Most Valuable Player at the recently concluded WAFU-B U-17 Girls’ Cup, while Nkwocha was part of the Falconets squad at the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland.
Favour Omenazu and Blessing Nkor were brought in as replacements as the coaching crew adjusted the squad.
Eguavoen backs replacements
Despite the withdrawals, Eguavoen has dismissed concerns that the changes will weaken the Super Falcons ahead of the two-legged contest.
“It is true that we have a number of withdrawals, notably Asisat Oshoala, Ashley Plumptre and Oluwatosin Demehin. However, I have confidence in their replacements as these ones also have the quality and experience to contribute meaningfully to the team’s success against Comoros,” Eguavoen said.
“Everyone has settled in well in camp as we have a full house now, and our focus is to present a strong and competitive squad for the two matches,” he added.
The statement underlines Eguavoen’s belief in the depth available to Nigeria despite the absence of several established players.
Falcons begin Olympic chase
Super falcons received a bye into the second round as one of the three highest-ranked teams in the African qualifying competition.
Comoros, meanwhile, reached this stage after an extraordinary 30-0 aggregate victory over Sudan in the opening round.
Captain Ajibade will lead the Super Falcons as they target a second consecutive Olympic appearance after returning to the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament at Paris 2024 following a 16-year absence.
The qualification campaign consists of five rounds, with two African teams ultimately securing places at Los Angeles 2028.
Should Nigeria eliminate Comoros over the two legs, the Super Falcons will advance to the third round, where they will face either the Democratic Republic of Congo or Morocco. That stage is scheduled to be decided in February and March 2027.
With the first leg now only days away, Eguavoen’s immediate task is to translate his confidence in the available players into a strong result and put the Super Falcons in control of the tie before the return fixture.
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