… National assignment comes first, Alli tells Edo Queens trio
Three Edo Queens mercurial players Goodness Osigwe, Comfort Folorunsho and Chioma Olise, will miss the prestigious CAF Women’s Champions League play-off in Cote d’Ivoire following their call-up to national assignment.
The sensational players will not be part of Edo Queens’ travelling contingent when they make the trip on August 9 to Abidjan for the CAF Women’s Champions’ League WAFU-B qualifiers.
The trio are to join the U- 20 Women’s National team that will represent Nigeria at the forthcoming FIFA U- 20 Women’s World Cup.
Nigeria’s Women Under 20 National team, the Falconets will be participating in the FIFA Under 20 Women’s World Cup ‘Colombia 2024 ‘ beginning August 31, 2024, with three players from Edo Queens of Benin in the national female team coached by Christopher Danjuma.
Edo Queens made history in the 2023/24 Nigeria Women’s Football League Premiership, winning the coveted League title for the first time with coach Moses Aduku and the three called-up girls Goodness Osigwe, Chioma Olise, and Comfort Folorunsho at the Super Six in Bayelsa state to earn the CAF Champions league ticket.
The called-up trio of the reigning Nigeria Women Premier League (NWPL) champions Osigwe Goodness ( Attacker), Chioma Olise (Midfield), and Folorunsho Comfort (Defender) are key players who distinguished themselves in the 2023/24 football season and their services would have been needed in the all-important Ivory Coast game save for their higher calling.
The invitation of the trio by coach Christopher Danjuma to the national U-20 women’s team for the biennial International Women’s Youth Football competition in faraway Colombia no doubt leaves Edo Queens with mixed feelings as they are also in closed camp in preparation for the CAF Champions League playoffs in Cote d’Ivoire. The girls are important regulars in Coach Moses Aduku’s team for the WAFU-B tournament, scheduled to kick off on August 10.
However, on getting the brief on the new development in Edo Queens camp, the Executive Chairman, Edo State Sports Commission, Olympian Yussuf Alli, directed that the national duty call must be obeyed without delay just as the head coach expressed confidence that his technical crew envisaged and made adequate replacements for the key players.
The Edo State Sports Commission Chairman in his reaction said, “This is one of the reasons our state government invests so much in our football teams; to help develop talents and raise players for our national teams. So, getting three call-up letters for our girls is a plus to us as the management and Edo State Government.”
Alli continued, “Yes, the girls are very important in our team for the CAF Champions League in Cote d’Ivoire, but the national assignment comes first. We are happy to receive the cheering news and it should serve as a motivation instead. I wish our girls success and we wish the Falconets success at the World Cup.”
