Swedish
Club stops Falconets' defender
Faith Ikidi,
By Gowon Akpodonor
ADMINISTRATE lapses in the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) has
resulted in the failure of the soccer house to send an invitation
letter to the Swedish Club of one of the invited foreign-based
players for this weekend's FIFA U-20 Women World Cup qualifier
between Nigeria and Liberia.
This development will see the Falconets filing out against the
ambitious Liberian girls tomorrow in Abuja without the services of
the team's defender, Faith Ikidi, who is the most experienced player
in the team.
It was learnt yesterday that Ikidi's Swedish club refused to allow
her travel down to Nigeria for the all-important match after waiting
in vain for NFA's formal invitation letter. Ikidi moved from Norway
to Sweden alongside Super Falcons duo of Maureen Madu and Yinka
Kudiasi, earlier this season.
The Falconets' coach, Emmanuel Tetteh, was looking forward to seeing
Ikidi and two other foreign-based players beef up the squad against
the Liberian girls who have vowed to stop Nigeria in tomorrow's
encounter. Both countries had played 1-1 draw in Monrovia when they
met two weeks ago.
The Guardian learnt yesterday that Italy-based Akudo Sabi and
Cynthia Uwak have joined the team in Abuja.
Meanwhile, coach Tetteh said yesterday that there is no cause for
alarm. He stated in a telephone chat that he would present a solid
squad against the Liberian girls tomorrow,
despite Ikidi's absence.
A winner in tomorrow's match will pick one of Africa's tickets for
the World Cup which holds later in the year in Russia.
The match which was earlier scheduled to hold in Ijebu-Ode, was
moved to Ilorin and later to Abuja after Amun failed to secure
sponsorship for it.
It was learnt that an over-bloated budget by the acting
secretary-general forced the government of Ogun, Oyo and Kwara
States to turn down the request to host the match.
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