₦airaland Forum

Poor Gabriela.
Her career has been plagued with injuries and she just returned from a major one to make this team to the WAFCON.
Really feel for her and wish her a speedy recovery. Can’t help but feel real sad for her.

daveP:
Her leg was in a cast when they lifted her up on the stretcher. Then camera shapali went to the crowds chanting her name.

Compound fracture.
Debbie Ajibola plowed into her during the goalmouth scramble in the 83rd minute, which was an unfortunate accident.
Really hope Gabriella Salgado is okay and wish her a speedy recovery.
This really discolors the SF victory. 😕🙁

daveP:
Its an ankle twist similar to Musiala's. All the best to Salgado. Wishing her a speedy recovery after surgery.

Me sef dey wonder?

Samueltemi337:
Bench Plumptre for who?

Edna Imade signed by Bayern Munchen.

Congratulations to her - really proud of her accomplishments.
If not for that buffoon Magudu, who refused to invite her when he should have, she could’ve been a Super Falcon running the frontline at this WAFCON. What a complete dullard!

Sorry, but your statement is factually incorrect.
Tosin Demehin CAN and HAS played as RB, RCB and LCB .
Ashleigh cannot play on both sides of the defense and has only played as either a LB or LCB .

lovewins:
Because only one of the 2 players can function in a dual role. Ashleigh can play a makeshift LB position, but Demehin cannot. That's what informed Randy's decision to move her there and every other coach has followed suit since then...

Its not only laughable, but pathetic to read some of the disparaging remarks made about some of our Super Falcons. Two of the ladies in particular, namely Tosin Demehin and Debbie Abiodun have been targeted for absolutely no reason.

Over the years, both have proven themselves to be invaluable members of this team, having progressed from the U20 team. I had the honor and priviledge to watch Tosin's debut against Jamaica here in Houston and knew within a few mins of watching her play that she would become a really good centerback. She has yet to prove me wrong. Debbie Abiodun made some tackling errors which will be corrected. There is a reason why she is called 'Kante'. She WILL end up being one of the very best CMs to don the SF green and white. By the way, both ladies are in their early 20s, Debbie being 21 and Tosin being 23. They still have several more years to craft their trade.

So, to all the so called experts here...which player on the team has not made mistakes? Rash? Plumptre? Ohale? I mean, give me a break.
This was game 1 of potentially 6 games to be played. Should this not be the time to make mistakes and work on them before the knockout rounds? Is the team not supposed to save the best for last, meaning get better and stronger as we march to game 6, hopefully?

Y'all need to take a chill pill and quit spewing unnecessary hate. Let the ladies breath, please!

For me, the poorest player on the field was Christy Ucheibe.
Horrible passes all day long since she entered the field. I mean, not a single good pass ! Kept turning the ball over.

Worst performance I have seen from her.

Puhlease!
Keep what possession? She is not good enough.
This is certainly NOT under 20 football. This is senior women’s football and she doesn’t have what it takes to play at this level. That is the reason she is not here, even when she was given many more opportunities than Abiodun. She is poor at defending and does not have the lungs to play at this level.

GeneralDae:
Definitely Abiodun in my opinion. Ucheibe and Ayinde already offers that defensive midfield cover and they are more mature in their tackles than Abiodun. Esther Oyenezide knows how to keep possession and keep the attack going from the midfield. Her only weakness is that she always wants to shoot even from distance which can be managed by the coach.

Very very impressive commentary run by Desire Oparanozie.
From knowledge of the game and diction, I was in awe.
Really proud of her debut as a commentator.
A billion times better than Rachel Ajegba and Ikpeba who were mediocre, to say the least.
Big ups to Desire 👍🏾👍🏾

GeneralDae:
She did better than Ikpeba to be honest. I think it’s anxiety though because Oparanozie doesn’t make those mistakes on her channel.

It absolutely did not!
She is not good enough.

GeneralDae:
This game needed an Esther Oyenezide in midfield.

Preview of the Super Falcon:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVDbhwP4GGo?si=GQfJB8eExvHqYdCz

Love this interview!
Ashley is a true leader and it’s very refreshing and inspirational for our young women in Nigeria to have the leadership mindset of people like Oshoala, Rash, Alozie and Ashley on this team.
I am really excited about this WAFCON!!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWBlyejCZFU?si=vkwfITipBIX8L41k

I actually prefer this guys analysis of the Super Falcon’s prospects.
The fact that he’s looking at it from an outside lens makes it more optimistic for football fans in general.

Enjoy…


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V43oVJ6wtFw?si=kZDndWeJIK0e4nmD

But how do we know Gift was dropped for her?
I would argue that Gift was dropped for Ordega, as they both play the exact same role.
Chioma can play as an outright winger or wing back. I would argue she can possibly play as a left back also, which is a role Monday cannot play.

So for me, Gift being dropped was more of her falling out with the coach and nothing else. Magudu was making silly excuses for dropping her.

AndSunGorilla:
Yes this girl might be explosive,very good, reincarnation of Messi and Ronaldo combined etc, Gift shouldn't have been dropped for her, Ijamilusi, Rinsola or even Ordega. It's not like Gift is old and she's not one for the future. I rest my case.

Regarding Chioma ("Chi" Okafor , interesting interview of her at Uconn.
She comes across as a very confident and grounded young lady who has strong leadership potential.
Optimistic that she might turn out to be an asset for the Super Falcons, in the near future.
All the very best to her.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIPEfmsVqTw?si=P0mnbsZB_VGwi5Wv

BUT...
BHA might have assessed their performance and felt very strongly that having a world class keeper (like Nnadozie) could have helped mitigate losses they had suffered in 5+ matches, which would have put them in contention for the Champions league spot.
The infusion of new players like Chiamaka WILL definitely make them more competitive.

lovewins:
Of course it has to make sense financially for her to have considered it, that however wasn't my point. Yes Brighton finished 5th last season, but they had 28 points (the most they've had in 5 years), 15 points behind the 4th place team. That gives some idea to how their season is likely to look next season.

We all know Chiamaka has the potential to win CAF player of the year award and FIFA best Goalkeeper award. Except by some miracle, joining a team like Brighton automatically takes her out of the running. But like you said, this could be the pedestal for better teams particularly in the WSL to pay attention.

No worries, bro.

ekehopp2:
My bad, no vex, i mistake am for another video wey I watch then.

Did you even bother to listen to the video??
This interview was done last week!
Jeez! Naija pple sha.

ekehopp2:
Old interview. Conducted before the WorldCup in 2023. I listened to it then.
Monetization. Them dey find content.

Funny, but have heard Randy say the same thing about Halimatu in one or two other interviews.
He really holds her in the highest esteem, when it comes to the tactical nuances of the game and her overall field generalship and discipline as a professional.

Hopefully, this interview will be seen by Nigerian football loving fans and help them understand that this man had nothing but love for our ladies.

Deltamani:
I so much love how Randy Waldrum praised Halimatu Ayinde in his recent interview with EaglesTracker..

He talked how tactically brilliant Ayinde is, and how she understands the game…

One of the reasons she should always start in midfield for the Falcons as long as she’s fit and still playing at the highest level giving her all… Ayinde isn’t perfect but she brings a lot of confidence and Calmness to that Midfield..

Ucheibe was guilty of a couple of those unforced errors, truth be told. I still believe that the midfield could have done with an additional enforcer (like Favour Emmanuel) in place of Ijamilusi or Ordega (in spite of her performance today).
Considering the fact that the North America contingent of Oshoala, Ihezuo, Chioma, Deborah, Alozie and Esther were absent, as well as not having any training session before this game, I thought they acquainted themselves well.
Over the next 2 weeks of intense training before the start of the competition, the team should be able to work out most of the cobwebs and should be ready for the challenge ahead.

KosiGee:
Atrocious errors like the one from Demehin shouldn’t be happening. Silly back passes like that and lack of spatial awareness shouldn’t be happening to a player like Demehin

Bad ass, roll over move she pulled on the goalie to score that goal. Great goal!
Importantly, like her level of confidence leading up to the WAFCON.
Praying that ALL our SF ladies are healthy over the next 6 weeks 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾.

BascoVanVeli:
Esther Okoronkwo vs Halifax Tides
Goal and assist


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7c6PeWhi_g

That might be too much pressure on someone like Moshood, considering the U17 WC is around the corner…

daveP:
I wish there was one u17 in this team. Like Moshood or the goalkeeper, Ozioma.

You will need to see Chioma play against professionals BEFORE deciding IF she has the pace you say she has. College ball is quite different from Pro and National team ball!

Watched a few highlights of Ijamilusi and will revise my assessment from ‘poor’ to ‘below average’. Again, this is the WAFCON we are talking about, not some Naija league game. She will be up against the very best of the best in the continent and it’s a different ball game there ( no pun intended).

I really think you are underestimating the pace of Esther and Onumonu (who was a sprinter in school). Iffy has a slow startup speed but once she gets going, you ain’t catching her - see her goal against France 🇫🇷

Deltamani:
Sorry to say… Folashade Ijamilusi isn’t slow at all arguably one of the fastest Forward in the team..


This is my Ranking according to their level of pace..

🚩Top level
1• Chioma Okafor
2• Rasheedat Ajibade
3• Asisat Oshoala

🚩Above Average
4• Folashade Ijamilusi
5• Rinsola Babajide
6• Chinwendu Ihezuo

🚩Average speed!
7• Esther Okoronkwo
8• Ifeoma Onumonu

Edna was recently called up to the Spainish 🇪🇸 national team.This ship has sailed, thanks to the screw up by Magudu and the Incompetent NFF.
They had a chance to have invited her for the recent friendly against France 🇫🇷 but refused. Real dumb decision!

Unlimited22:
BTW what happens to Edna Imade going forward?

What on earth are you talking about

For the record, Gift is NO Boniface. She actually scores and contributes to the betterment of the team. Your analogy is completely off the mark.
Ordega WAS given a last hurrah in the olympics and it was obvious she was piss poor. She has absolutely ZERO business being on this squad and will be a flop again. Last hurrah my hinny.
Ijami-who? Dude, you have no clue about what you're talking here. This one will be another flop. Slow, unintelligent player who has no business being on the team.

emeka123123:
- Madugu has done well with this list..

- Gift Monday is the Victor Boniface of the Super Falcons, so make we all calm down on the matter abeg.

- Ordega is being given her last hurrah, something Onome should have done graciously. Watch Franny sign out on a high!

- Chioma Okafor is a beast. Our own Anas Yusuf!

- The midfield and attack is solid enough. No emotions about this, Oshoala must not be allowed to start, she is better off playing from the bench where she can add impact based on experience.

- Ijamilusi is also another player that can prove her mettle. Sad that Mercy Omokwo had injury issues earlier in the year, it would have been nice to see how NWFL sensations are getting better representation in the S/Falcons.

- Our midfield combo is crucial to the results we will get, so they need to get the right fixes for us, else Mission X go turn to Demotion Z 😎

-

The young lady IS Malawian - she speaks their local language fluently.
The Malawian FA touted her as the future of their women's football team, only for Nigeria to hijack the process.
This was quite a major coup by Nigeria. Can fully understand the Malawians being pissed off.

GeneralDae:
Reading other Facebook comments from Malawians and they are really pained about this.

Someone commented saying their FA is very unserious because he couldn’t understand why the FA would think a Chioma Okafor (probably Mr Ibu’s daughter) is a Malawian 🤣🤣

Nollywood really exposed Nigeria to Africa, chai.

Quite a surprise decision, considering she speaks their local language fluently. Not sure what has changed, as she had previously committed to them.
Chioma Okafor also was nominated as a semi finalist for the Mac Hermann trophy this year (which Onyi Echegini won in 2024).
Wish her all the very best.

Deltamani:
Her Mother is from Malawi while her Dad is from Nigeria.. She was born there though before moving to the US

I really do see a lot of Tabitha Chawinga in her, Strong, Fast and dangerous Left foot. she love to play from the left the Wing as well…!

Good catch for Nigeria and herself..

We missed out Uchenna Kanu and Chinwendu Ihezuo. And who the heck are Emem and Olamide?
Saw video clips of Emem and I was like...seriously? There was absolutely nothing of note to be excited about. From the highlights of her I saw, she has no pace and very limited skills / footballing intellect. Not to mention she is too lightweight to be a striker of note. I really don't see anything to be excited about.

We have the personnel to make a SIGNIFICANT impact at the next WAFCON, but of course that would only happen if we had intelligent people running the show. I wouldn't put it past the imbeciles running our football to load the squad with HB riff-raffs.

Deltamani:
If wishes were truly horses... But we seems to forget that Edna can actually play in all positions upfront as she uses both feet’s effectively, have got the pace and agility as well. And this past season is actually her first season playing as a No.9!! Because she has been Playing mainly as a winger in the past..

Joy Omewa 22yrs the Danish 🇩🇰 League golden boot winner can actually be the next Oparanozie if well nurtured as age is very much on her side.. A proper finisher good with both feet’s..

Maybe we can go with a forward line of
1• Asisat Oshoala
2• Ifeoma Onumonu
3• Edna Imade
4• Joy Omewa
5• Esther Okoronkwo
6• Monday Gift
7• Rinsola Babajide

Note; I will put Rash name among the 6 midfielders to give room for more forwards.., but they will tell you that Emem Essien, Olamide are the best forwards to be in the team just because they want to include Home-based players.

IF wishes were horses...

Edna and Onumonu can play as upfront strikers, with Oshoala coming in as a sub. This is no disrespect to the 'GOAT', but we cannot realistically expect her to hit on all cylinders for the full 90 at this stage of her career. I loved the role she played in the WC, coming in as a sub against Australia to devastating effect.
Wingers can be Okoronkwo, Ajibade and Babajide, which gives us enough cover on the wings, while the AMs will be Tonie Payne and Jen Echegini. There is also Chiamaka Okwuchukwu to consider - not sure if she can also be effective as a winger on this team, in addition to her being a striker for San Diego Wave.

The sad and unfortunate truth is Edna Imade and Joy Omewa should have been inculcated into this team a long time ago, and that opportunity was missed due to the incompetence of Magudu and the morons in the NFF.
Nigeria could easily have had a devastating team for this WAFCON...

Deltamani:
Surprisingly we get Edna Imade, Coupled with Asisat Oshoala and Ifeoma Onumonu, does this mean Esther Okoronkwo should be drifted to the Right Wing as a Winger alongside Ajibade or what does this look
Like??

Great player, but...
She is no spring chicken, as she is not young - she just turned '30' in May 2025. Not to mention her being very injury prone.

For Nigeria, we need to have at least four (4) options that can be counted upon, without degradation in quality or performance.
Halimatu Ayinde, Christy Ucheibe, Debbie Abiodun and then who? The next candidate that can play at their level, for me, is Favour Emmanuel (if you consider the experience and the mentality to play that position).
That way, the team doesn't have to be over-reliant on Halimatu and she can be fit and available to last the 6 or 7 games in a major tournament.

Deltamani:
How do you see Halimatu Ayinde? She seems to have gotten better in Defense. I wish she would play more as a Defender for her clubside as well…

You're friend is spot on - I just don't see how this SF team can win the WAFCON.
After Ucheibe and Abiodun, there are no more credible CMs left, hence the dire need to get Emmanuel Favor in the squad. She has pace, guile and has played at a high level. I would rather someone like her, than the scrubs Madugu is trying to impose on the squad.
For all intents and purposes, Ayinde is on her last legs. She no longer has the pace and if she goes down, the SF are screwed.

Watching the game against Cameroon was an eyesore for me - they couldn't even string 3 passes together for the first 15 mins of the game. No rhythm, no sense of purpose, no coordination. Its like they have significantly regressed since Randy left.
The Achilles heal of the team, from my standpoint is a lack of a credible goalie. Nigeria will be totally screwed IF Chiamaka Nnadozie goes down. Of all the up and coming keepers of Nigerian decent, the best that the dullard Madugu has chosen to pin his hopes on is the grossly obese Linda Jiwakwu. I mean, who in their right mind would even invite such a person to the national team, for goodness sake?

Honestly, I really don't see them winning the WAFCON. And that is the honest truth!

Deltamani:
I had an over 40Minutes conversation with my Friend over the phone concerning the WAFCON..

We argued a lot and he said we don’t have Defenders and midfielders that can stop the likes of Barbara Banda, Rachael Kundananji, Mupopo etc if we’re to meet Zambia 🇿🇲..

I was like what is Ucheibe and Co doing in the midfield?.

Again we talked about Ayinde too, and he said Ayinde will likely play with a lot of caution because of the series of injuries she has gone through..! And he said Ucheibe performs better with Ayinde in Midfield that if paired with Abiodun she struggles.

With the dullard Madugu in charge, that's not going to happen. Monday Gift will be the left winger and Rinsola will be on the bench.
Your #9 options listed would have been ideal - with maybe Joy Owema also. However, that's not going to happen, since Edna and Joy have yet to be contacted by those buffons in the NFF.

Deltamani:
▪️Asisat Oshoala, Iffy Onumonu and Edna Imade should battle for the no.9 spot

▪️Rasheedat Ajibade and anyone among this 3 Esther Okoronkwo, Monday Gift, Rinsola Babajide should be our Wingers..

▪️Rash & Babajide as wingers for me.
▪️Monday Gift a must super sub for Babajide as a Left Winger.!