Oshoala
Super Falcons and FCB Femeni forward Asisat Oshoala has expressed his happiness that the Nigerian women national team will be participating at the USWNT Summer Series in June.
The Falcons will play against the USWNT, Jamaica and Portugal between June 10-16 at the invitational tournament in US and Oshoala sees it as a preparation for the AWCON qualifiers and opportunity to play against top teams.
“It’s a great opportunity for us to be involved in a competition involving other top teams,” she told BBC Sport Africa.
“We are actually happy to have another incredible opportunity of coming together again after the February camping in Turkey.
“It’s another opportunity to hep the team build and get better ahead of the qualifying [African Women Cup of Nations] games coming up later on.”
The last outing for the Falcons was the Antalya Gold Cup in Turkey in February, the first outing of new head coach Randy Waldrum.
Oshoala believes the US tournament will be a massive step for the team: “It’s also a massive step in testing the team against a very very good and experienced side,”
Nigeria played against CSKA Moscow Women, Uzbekistan, Equatorial Guinea in Turkey, winning all three games and scoring 11 goals, nine against African opponent, Equatorial Guinea and one each against the other two teams.
“In this case winning doesn’t really matter, the coach will have the chance to look at more talents and perhaps start building his team too.
“To be part of a mini-tournament against some really good teams is a really positive step for us as players and the country.”
The nine times Africsn champion will know their African Women’s Cup of Nation Morocco 2022 Qualifiers opponent on Monday, May 10, 2021 when the draws are made in Cairo, Egypt.