SPORT: 4 Falconets get instant promotion

The Falconets quartet of Ugo Njoku, Sarah Nnodim, Loveth Ayila and Halimatu Ayinde have been rewarded with instant inclusion in the Super Falcons’ 33-strong squad list for the upcoming African Women’s Championship (AWC) in Namibia. The quartet of the Super Falcons’ regulars who showed class at the just concluded Fifa Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Canada, Uchechi Sunday, Mariam Ibrahim, Chinwendu Ihezuo and the championship’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) and golden boot winner, Asisat Oshoala, received prominent mention in the AWC list. Super Falcons head coach Edwin Okon said the shortlisted players were convincing and impressive in their performances at the Fifa Under-20 World Cup hence their immediate inclusion in the side that will be vying for honours at the forthcoming AWC in Namibia. “Asisat Oshoala, Chinwendu Ihezuo, Mariam Ibrahim and Uchechi Sunday, who are regulars with the Super Falcons and also featured stronggly for the Falconets at the just-concluded World Cup in Canada, were named in the newest AWC list. I added to the list four outstanding members of the Falconets to the World Cup namely Rivers Angels right back, Ugo Njoku, Delta Queens right back, Sarah Nnodim, Delta Queens’ forward, Halimatu Ayinde and Rivers Angels’ striker, Loveth Ayila. “They were quite impressive with their performances and we want to key into the value to further beef up the Falcons for the challenges at the African Women’s Championship in Nambia. “They’re invited to come and contest for the shirts with other invited players and I strongly believe they’ll justify the invitation. “We hope to commence the final phase of the AWC preparations with the 33 players hopefully on September 1 before the weeding out process that will see us cut down the list to 21,” said the Rivers Angels head coach to supersport.com. The six-time African champions will contest for honours in Group A together with hosts Namibia, Ivory Coast and Zambia at the biennial football showpiece that doubles as Africa’s qualifiers for the 2015 Fifa Women’s World Cup in Canada. The eight-team AWC event, which will be held from October 11 to 24, will see top three best countries qualifying automatically for the global football fiesta.