Olympic qualifiers: Oshoala, Plumptre absent as 21 players hit Super Falcons camp

By Adegboyega Adeleye

Twenty-one Super Falcons players have arrived in camp in Ikenne, Ogun State, as preparations intensify for Nigeria’s 2028 Olympic qualifying double-header against Comoros, with star forwards Asisat Oshoala and defender Ashleigh Plumptre among the notable absentees.

The Falcons shared the latest camp update on their official handle on Tuesday evening, captioning the post, “Camp update: 21 players in.”

Camp update: 21 players in
… pic.twitter.com/y5skvKdNXt

— NGSuper_Falcons (@NGSuper_Falcons)

October 6, 2026

Oshoala and Plumptre were both included in the original squad invited by interim head coach Augustine Eguavoen but will not feature in the upcoming fixtures.

According to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Plumptre, who had been recalled after missing the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations through injury, asked to be excused because of a ligament injury while six-time African Player of the Year, Oshoala, also pleaded to be excused.

Eguavoen subsequently called up Belarus-based former U-20 forward Blessing Okpe as a replacement for Oshoala.

Also unavailable, according to the NFF, are Benfica defender Oluwatosin Demehin and forward Flourish Sabastine, who are said to be dealing with residency permit requirements in Portugal, further reducing the squad interim coach Austin Eguavoen initially selected for the qualifiers.

Eguavoen has also released Oluwakemi Adegbuyi and Favour Nkwocha to join Nigeria’s under-17 women’s team ahead of the FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco. Adegbuyi was named the most valuable player at the recent WAFU-B Under-17 Girls Cup, while Nkwocha was part of Nigeria’s squad at the Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland.

The withdrawals leave Eguavoen needing to reshape his squad just days before Friday’s first leg at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, where both matches of the second-round tie will be played.

The latest 21-player camp list comprises Christiana Uzoma, Farida Abdulwahab, Tumininu Adeshina, Valentina Uroko, Glory Edet, Shukurat Oladipo, Glory Ogbonna, Suliat Abideen, Favour Omenazu, Joy Igbokwe, Fatimoh Solaty, Toni Payne, Christy Ucheibe, Shakirat Moshood, Blessing Nkor, Folashade Ijamilusi, Janet Akekoromowei, Rasheedat Ajibade, Jennifer Echegini and Michelle Alozie.

Players currently in camp

• Christiana Uzoma
• Farida Abdulwahab
• Tumininu Adeshina
• Valentina Uroko
• Glory Edet
• Shukurat Oladipo
• Glory Ogbonna
• Suliat Abideen
• Sandra John
• Favour Omenazu
• Joy Igbokwe
• Fatimoh Solaty
• Toni Payne
• Christy Ucheibe
• Jennifer Echegini
• Shakirat Moshood
• Blessing Nkor
• Folashade Ijamilusi
• Janet Akekoromowei
• Rasheedat Ajibade
• Michelle Alozie

The current camp composition reflects a mixture of established internationals and new faces, including Favour Omenazu, the MK Dons captain who has received her maiden Super Falcons call-up.

Nigeria received a bye into the second round of the Olympic qualifying series as one of the three highest-ranked teams in the competition, while Comoros advanced after a remarkable 30-0 aggregate victory over Sudan.

Both legs of the second-round tie will be played at the Remo Stars Stadium, Ikenne-Remo, because Comoros does not have a CAF-approved venue. The first leg is scheduled for Friday, October 9, with the return leg billed for Tuesday, October 13.

The Falcons are seeking a return to the Olympic Games after making their comeback at Paris 2024, following a 16-year absence from the competition. Nigeria had secured that ticket by edging South Africa 1-0 on aggregate in the final qualifying round.

The road to Los Angeles, however, remains long, with Africa allocated only two places in the 2028 women’s football tournament. Nigeria must negotiate four knockout rounds to secure one of them. A victory over Comoros on aggregate would send the Falcons into the third round, where either Morocco or the Democratic Republic of Congo awaits.

The Olympic campaign also comes at a crucial point for the Falcons following their disappointing 2026 WAFCON campaign, which ended with a quarter-final defeat to Cameroon and cost Nigeria an automatic route to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Eguavoen, appointed interim coach in September, is therefore tasked with steering the team through the Olympic qualifying campaign as Nigeria seeks to return to the Games in Los Angeles.

Vanguard News

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