By Amaechi Agbo

Coach Chris Danjuma has called up 26 players to the camp of the Nigeria’s U-20 Girls, Falconets ahead of this month’s FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifying cracker against Cameroon’s Junior Lionesses.

The list includes defender and captain Oluwatosin Demehin, goalkeeper Omini Monle, midfielders Basirat Amoo and Esther Onyenezide, and forwards Flourish Sebastine, Mercy Idoko and Precious Vincent.

A 15-goal haul in their last three matches has taken the two-time World Cup finalists to the penultimate round of the African qualifying series for this year’s finals, which will hold in Costa Rica.

The Falconets hammered their Central African Republic counterparts 7-0 away and 4-0 at home in the second round, before a 4-0 bashing of hosts Congo in Brazzaville. The Congolese opted not to travel to Nigeria for the reverse tie.

Cameroon will host the first leg of the penultimate round in Douala on Sunday, 23rd January, with the return leg to hold at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Lagos a fortnight later.

The winner will have a date with the winner of the fixture between Senegal and Morocco for a slot at the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup finals in Costa Rica in August.

All the invited players have been directed to report at the Serob Legacy Hotel, Wuye in Abuja on Wednesday, 5th January 2022 with their training kits and Covid-19 vaccination cards.

List of invited players

Goalkeepers: Chidinma Nkiruka (Edo Queens); Nelly Ekeh (Sunshine Queens); Inyene Etim (Abia Angels); Omini Monle (Bayelsa Queens)

Defenders: Rofiat Imuran (Rivers Angels); Jumoke Alani (Edo Queens); Motunrayo Ezekiel (Naija Ratels); Oluwatosin Demehin (Rivers Angels); Omowunmi Oshobukola (Edo Queens); Oluwabunmi Oladeji (Naija Ratels); Oluchi Ohaegbulem (Confluence Queens); Chidinma Ogbuchi (FC Robo Queens); Deborah Abiodun (Rivers Angels)

Midfielders: Basirat Amoo (Nasarawa Amazons); Esther Onyenezide (FC Robo Queens); Yina Adoo (Nasarawa Amazons); Anuoluwapo Yusuf (Bayelsa Queens); Chinyere Kalu (Nasarawa Amazons)

Forwards: Joy Jerry (Bayelsa Queens); Mercy Idoko (Nasarawa Amazons); Flourish Sebastine (Edo Queens); Taiwo Lawal (FC Robo Queens); Precious Vincent (Bayelsa Queens); Blessing Okpe (Rivers Angels); Chiamaka Okwachukwu (Royal Queens); Amarachi Onyenekwe (Nasarawa Amazons)