FIFA Women Cup: Ayinde arrives to complete Falcons list as Nigeria can’t register Okobi-Okogene

Super Falcons camp is now full to the brim with the arrival in Brisbane of Sweden-based Halimat Ayinde who completed the total number of players in Australia camp to 23.

The veteran midfielder was expected to hit camp earlier along with his teammates for the 15-day pre-World Cup training camp in Down Under but club commitments made it impossible for Ayinde who plays for Rosengard FC in Sweden to join the Nigeria camp in Brisbane because the Swedish women’s football league only ended last Friday.

The player arrived at Brisbane camp Monday to complete the number of players selected by Head Coach Randy Waldrum to prosecute the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup final in Australia and New Zealand.

The other players who arrived in camp earlier have been adjusting to the weather conditions as training has intensified despite the war of words between the coach and his employers, NFF which has strained the relationship between the employer and employee.

Waldrum has engaged his employers, NFF in a media war since he granted an interview accusing the federation of financial malfeasance and describing the NFF's response to his earlier outbursts in Podcast interviews as “childish”.

Meanwhile, the dream of Super Falcons veteran attacking midfielder, Ngozi Okobi-Okogene to play in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup final in Australia and New Zealand has finally evaporated like early morning dew as the portal for the registration of players for the biggest women’s football competition in the world closes by 12 midnight on Monday.

Promptnews can confirm that the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup players registration portal which enables Member Associations to register the players for the football fiesta will close finally by 12 midnight on Monday.

Interestingly, Okobi-Okogene who provided the pass which enabled Rasheedat Ajibade to score the lone goal against Cameroon which secured  Nigeria the World Cup ticket in the last Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco, will not be part of Nigeria’s team in Australia and New Zealand.

Investigation has revealed that Falcons Head Coach Waldrum who submitted Nigeria’s final list of 23 players a month ago, has remained adamant to effect any change in his earlier list submitted to the FIFA portal.

According to a source close to NFF, Waldrum has refused to consider Okobi-Okogene even when is aware that both Halimat Ayinde and Rasheedat Ajibade who got a red card in the last WAFCON semi-final match against Morocco will not feature in Nigeria’s first round tie against Canada.

“The federation is pained that the FIFA registration portal will close by midnight today  (Monday) but Nigeria will not make any changes in the earlier list of players Coach Randy Waldrum submitted to FIFA. Ngozi Okobi would have been a good addition but the coach has remained adamant”, the source who pleaded anonymity said.