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Midfielder Esther Onyenezide, who impressed at last year’s FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup finals in Costa Rica has been drafted to take the place of 2023 FIFA World Cup star, Halimatu Ayinde in Nigeria’s squad for the 2024 Women Olympic Football tournament fixture against Ethiopia.
The delegation of home-based players and technical and backroom staff from Nigeria flew into Addis Ababa on Sunday for Wednesday’s opening leg encounter at the Abebe Bekila Stadium, and the foreign-based players have started arriving for the big match as well. The Super Falcons will host the second leg of the second-round fixture at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abuja on Tuesday, October 31 2023.
Midfielder Regina Otu, and defender Osinachi Ohale have been ruled out of the fixture. Another World Cup star, Christy Ucheibe, of Portuguese club SL Benfica, is also out of the encounter.
The winner on aggregate will confront the winner of the fixture between Cameroon and Uganda. The Indomitable Lionesses drew a bye, while Uganda overpowered Rwanda 4-3 on aggregate.
Ethiopia’s senior girls, nicknamed Lucy, turned back Chad 10-0 in the first round of the series, played in the month of July.
The Ethiopians won the first leg 6-0 in Addis Ababa on 13th July, before lashing their hosts 4-0 in N’Djamena five days later.
The Confederation of African Football has appointed Lamia Atman from Algeria as referee for Wednesday’s encounter, with her compatriots Asma Feriel Ouahab, Sara Kemmad and Ghada Mehat as assistant referee 1, assistant referee 2 and fourth official respectively.
Angelique Tuyishime from Rwanda will serve as referee assessor while Tabitha Wambui Njoroge from Kenya will be in the role of match commissioner.
For Tuesday’s return leg in Abuja, Edoh Kindedji from Togo will be referee, with her compatriots Abra Sitsofe Agbedanou and Kossiwa Kayigan Awoutey as assistant referee 1 and assistant referee 2 respectively. Yacine Samassa from Mauritania will be in the role of fourth official.
Daloba Oulare from Guinea will be the referee assessor and Christine Ziga from Ghana will serve as match commissioner.
