Izuchukwu OkosiThere have been outstanding players who have shone for the Nigeria U-20 women’s national team, the Super Falconets at the ongoing FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica.
The team have marched on to the quarterfinals of the tournament where they will face Netherlands on Sunday night.
Prime Business Africa’s Senior Correspondent Izuchukwu Okosi here presents the five players who could displace some of the older players in the senior national team.
The following are players that have shown huge promise and will be good candidates to gain promotion to the senior national team.
1. Blessing Dehemin (for Onome Ebi)
The captain of the team was spectacular in central defence and she made several clearances, blocks and interceptions.
Demehin’s personality and confidence Shines through and that maturity is something that cannot be overlooked.
Demehin is a good replacement for 39 year-old Onome Ebi whose age has inadvertently slowed her down.
2. Flourish Sabastine (for Desire Oparanozie)
The striker scored the only goal in the 1-0 win over France and announced himself to the world with his twinke-toed dribbles, positional awareness and speed.
The striker didn’t score in the matches against South Korea and Canada but she is a good asset that should be seen as a capable replacement for a player like Desire Oparanozie who is still her deadly self but is one that is not really on the good books of the Nigeria Football Federation.
Aside of course the fact that age is no longer on her side.
3. Esther Onyenezide (for Rita Chikwelu)
Esther Onyenezide has three goals to her name on the ongoing Women’s U-20 World Cup in Costa Rica.
The 19-year- old Robo Queens midfielder scored a spectacular goal in the 1-0 win against Korea and also stepped up to convert from the spot kick in the last group match with Canada.
Onyenezide has remarkably been awarded the Woman of the Match in these games.
The world is Onyenezide’s oyster and with many years ahead of her, she is considered a very good choice to slot into the aging Super Falcons midfield.
Rita Chikwelu is a mainstay in the Falcons fold but with the emergence of a new, younger talent like Onyenezide, it is about time she considered passing on the proverbial baton.
4. Rofiat Imuran (for Ebere Orji)
Ebere Orji was not part of the Super Falcons side at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco but the team have not adequately replaced her since she made her international bow out of the game.
The left back Orji, who once played for the PSG’s women’s team was a classy asset down the flanks with both her defending and attacking qualities.
The Falcons struggled with Michelle Alozie at the AWCON and while we are not advocating that Super Falconets star Imuran replaces Alozie, we are saying that Imuran should be drafted into the Falcons for competition among the left back choices.
The left back defended stoutly and whipped in quality crosses in the three matches so far, improving game after game.
5. Mercy Idoko (Francisca Ordega)
There is a caveat here. Ordega is still very much a crucial part of the Super Falcons so Mercy Idoko is not expected to displace her.
Ordega still has about two tournaments in her beginning with the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
Absolutely corrective and incisive. Waldrum et al should take care of this analysis and suggestions.