Sports
Fans Kick Against Ebi’s Inclusion In Falcons Friendly
Some sections of fans have raised eyebrows over the inclusion of Onome Ebi in the Super Falcons squad for next month’s Revelation Cup tournament in Leon, Mexico City, insisting she is too old and inactive to play for the nine-time African champions, Tidesports source reports.
Last Thursday, head coach of the Falcons, Randy Waldrum, called up 23 players for the friendly tournament.
Top on the list of the players invited are captain Ebi, Barcelona forward Asisat Oshoala, goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie and Leicester City’s Ashleigh Plumptre, with Desire Oparanozie, who was unceremoniously kicked out as captain of the women’s national team after leading a bonus protest against officials at the 2019 Women’s World Cup, once again omitted from the squad.
The tournament, which serves as preparation for the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand this summer, has hosts Mexico, Nigeria, Costa Rica and Colombia in attendance.
Some fans expressed concerns as they questioned the addition of Ebi, who turns 40 before the World Cup.
So far this season, the defender has made just one appearance for her Spanish club Levante Las Planas, playing a total of seven minutes.
Her low turnout for Levante and her age has been a source of concern to fans, who queried her inclusion in the squad.
Reacting to the Nigeria Football Federation’s tweet on the invited players, a Twitter user Alex Ibeneme wrote, “Please we need good and young defenders and with all due respect Ebi should retire. What happened to Onyinyechi Zogg? She needs to be invited back to the national team, I’ve been following her and she is doing well.”
Moolah79 added, “What is Ebi doing on this list? She’s played just one match since AWCON and doesn’t even make it to the bench of her club plus she has just been kicked out by the club Levante Las Palmas. Waldrum doesn’t mean well for Nigeria.”
Vitalis Iwuchukwu, however, urged the central defender to retire and give way for younger players.
“Onome Ebi doesn’t retire? 39 years and counting. This is not fair to younger players. Even her club terminated her contract on a mutual basis. Waldrum can do better with the selections.”
“This coach is sinking Super Falcons. Onome Ebi at what age? What is going on in this country is unbelievable,” Asiru ABBAS wrote.
“Nigeria will be disgraced at the world cup. It’s never late to get a new coach. Look at the losses against South Africa, Zambia, Morocco, USA. How many of such are coming?”
Belinda Monday added, “It really baffles me that we still have Ebi on this list and some younger players overlooked. I don’t see us doing well at the World Cup if these are the players we want to parade.”
David Oku also tweeted, “Waldrum’s decision to drop Oparanozie, Efih and Monday Gift is ridiculous. Those players are in good form scoring goals. Waldrum needs to up his game & improve his scouting Cos at the moment it’s not the top stuff we’re so used to with the Super Falcons & it’s 6 Months to #FIFAWWC.”
At the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco last July, Waldrum’s team had a mix of the old guard and new blood, with Ebi (39), Tochukwu Oluehi (35), Rita Chikwelu (34), Osinachi Ohale (30) and Ordega (29) the veterans in the team.
The nine-time African champions, however, struggled against young South African, Moroccan and Zambian sides losing all three games against them, with many blaming the old players for the team’s underwhelming performance in Morocco.
Ebi was one of the players blamed for Falcons’ poor outing as the defender struggled against younger players and was easily outpaced.
Victor Osimhen will be the centre of attention as several of Europe’s biggest clubs send scouts to yesrerday’s Intercontinental Derby between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, with the Nigerian forward set to play a decisive role in the Super Lig title race
Representatives from Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Juventus were expected to be present at Rams Park, underlining the scale of interest in both the fixture and its standout performers.
Reports in Turkish media indicate that the derby will serve not only as a key moment in the domestic title race but also as a platform for transfer discussions and strategic collaborations between clubs.
According to those reports, top European sides have secured places at the stadium with a dual purpose.
“Europe’s leading representatives will be present at the stadium within the framework of both player transfer and cooperation,” ,” Milliyet reported.
“Real Madrid, Barcelona, among many clubs, including Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Napoli and Juventus, have made reservations for today’s match.”
Osimhen was expected to be among the primary players under observation, alongside teammates Baris Yilmaz and Gabriel Sara, with scouts closely monitoring their performances in one of the most high-profile fixtures in Turkish football.
The report further noted, “Victor Osimhen, Yilmaz and Sara were at the top of the watch list and that the interest would mainly be in these players.”
It also highlighted broader discussions beyond player recruitment, stating, “Apart from this, ideas will be exchanged for strengthening relations between the clubs and new joint agreements.”
The Nigerian striker’s presence came at a crucial point in the season, with Galatasaray holding a four-point lead over second-placed Fenerbahce and knowing that victory would all but secure the league title with three matches remaining.
Osimhen recently returned from injury, making a brief appearance in the cup defeat to Genclerbirligi after missing four games, a period during which Galatasaray’s form showed signs of inconsistency.
His absence coincided with a mixed run of results in April, where the league leaders recorded two wins, one draw and one defeat, including a loss to Trabzonspor and a draw at home to Kocaelispor.
Defensively, Galatasaray have also shown vulnerability, conceding in each of their last six matches across all competitions, a concern ahead of a fixture that could define their campaign.
The derby follows disappointment in the Turkish Cup, where Galatasaray suffered a shock 2-0 home defeat to Genclerbirligi, while Fenerbahce were also knocked out after a 1-0 loss to Konyaspor
A tennis tournament held in honour of Olusola Odumosu, Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps FCT Command, has been described as a major step towards grassroots sports development and youth engagement.
The three-day competition, staged at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja, began midweek , last week and ended on Friday, attracting young players across different categories.
On the court, top-ranked player Canice Abua won the men’s singles title after a hard-fought 7-5, 6-4 victory over Lucky Danjuma, who is ranked fourth nationally.
In the boys’ category, Unity Alex defeated Khaleed Dalha in straight sets to win the title, while Salvation Alex triumphed over Opeyemi Olademeji to win the girls’ singles event.
Odumosu, who marked his birthday with the event, said the initiative was designed to uncover young talent and strengthen the foundation of tennis development in Nigeria.
Nigeria’s U-17 women’s team, the Flamingos, opened their preparations for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers with a dominant 6-0 victory over Generation Next in Abuja as head coach Akeem Ishola Busari continues to shape his squad.
The emphatic win came during a 60-minute friendly at the Goal Project at the weekend, where the Flamingos took control early and led 4-0 at half-time before the match was halted in the 54th minute due to heavy rain.
Goals were spread across the squad, with Shavih Istifanus opening the scoring inside the first minute, followed by a brace from Tobiloba Sarafa in the 10th and 23rd minutes.
Harmony Chidi added the fourth in the 28th minute, while Aminat Adebisi struck just before half-time and Precious Paul completed the scoring early in the second half.
The match forms part of a busy training camp in Abuja, where Busari has invited 36 players as Nigeria step up preparations for their second-round qualifier against Guinea.