Sports
2022 WCQ :Rohr Confirms Seven United Kingdom-Based Players’ Absence
Nigeria manager, Gernot Rohr, has confirmed that the seven United Kingdom-based players currently in the Super Eagles camp in Lagos will not be available for selection against Cape Verde.
Nigeria Football Federation Chief Amaju Pinnick, had pleaded with the English Football Association and Scottish Football Association to reverse their decision, preventing the British-based Super Eagles’ players travelling to Cape Verde but those talks were not fruitful.
It means Glasgow Rangers duo, Joe Aribo and Leon Balogun, Leicester City pair Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi, Everton winger Alex Iwobi,Watford duo William Troost-Ekong and Oghenekaro Etebo, will head back to the United Kingdom as from tomorrow, after the match with Liberia.
An eighth player in Brentford’s Frank Onyeka withdrew from the roster after testing positive for coronavirus.
Rohr has stressed that he’s fully focused on the match against the Lone Stars and wants to take it one game at a time.
Speaking to newsmen, after Wednesday’s workout at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Rohr said the first game here is Liberia, we will have 29 players and we will only focus on this game.
“Of course in our heart, that’s why we have 29 players to replace the eight United Kingdom-based players, who have to leave us but for the moment we concentrate on the first game.
“And then we will have around 20 or 21 players for the second game, it will be another step.
“At first let us focus on this wonderful match against Liberia. I know that some supporters can come, unfortunately not everybody, only 5,000 but we want to give them joy and we know that all Nigerians are behind the team”.
For the first time, Rohr will have the full complement of players to work with in the Super Eagles training session yesterday following the arrival of Porto left-back Zaidu Sanusi.
In a statement released by the league, the competition is scheduled to take place from Friday, June 5 to Sunday, June 14, 2026, with six clubs set to battle for the league title at the end of the 2025/26 season.
NWFL Chief Operating Officer, Modupe Shabi, said the choice of Port Harcourt reflects the Rivers State Government’s continued support for women’s football and its successful hosting of the league’s Annual General Assembly last year.
The Super Six tournament will feature the top three teams from Group A and Group B of the regular season competing in a round-robin format, with each club playing five matches over nine days.
Qualified teams for the competition include defending champions Bayelsa Queens, Edo Queens, Rivers Angels, Robo Queens, Nasarawa Amazons, and debutants Abia Angels.
The NWFL Premiership has produced four different winners in the last five editions, with Rivers Angels winning in 2021, Bayelsa Queens claiming the title in 2022 and 2025, Delta Queens triumphing in 2023, and Edo Queens emerging champions in 2024.
The league also urged participating clubs to comply with all competition regulations and directives ahead of the championship. The Super Six will determine Nigeria’s representative for the WAFU-B qualifiers for a place at the 2026 CAF Women’s Champions League and ultimately the 2027 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup.
Teams are expected to arrive on Friday, June 5, when the draw ceremony and pre-match meeting will also take place. Matchdays are scheduled for June 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14, with rest days in between before the tournament concludes with the trophy presentation ceremony.
