Interim Head Coach Augustine Eguavoen has handed the Super Falcons a youthful look for next month’s Los Angeles 2028 Olympics qualifier against Comoros, calling up seven young players whose club form and youth-level medals have pushed them into the senior conversation.
The most eye-catching names come from the group already playing in Europe. Shakirat Moshood joined Portuguese side SCU Torreense from Bayelsa Queens on a two-year contract, and she arrives with a résumé that belies her age.
She captained Nigeria’s Flamingos at the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco and finished as runner-up for the 2025 CAF Women’s Youth Player of the Year award. At club level, she helped Bayelsa Queens win the NWFL Premiership title, and she won the WAFU B U-20 Girls’ Cup with Nigeria.
She also played a pivotal role in the Falconets’ qualification for the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, and her new club has qualified for the UEFA Women’s Champions League for the first time in its history.
Her former Bayelsa Queens teammate Janet Akekoromowei follows a similar path. The forward moved to Portuguese champions Benfica after winning the NWFL’s Most Valuable Player award, having featured for the Falconets at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia, where she made three appearances.
The home-based contingent brings its own momentum. Goalkeeper Christiana Uzoma of Edo Queens earns her first senior invitation after standing out for the Falconets at the U20 World Cup, where she produced crucial saves against England, and she now competes for a place alongside Chiamaka Nnadozie and Comfort Erhabor.
Her club colleague Oluwakemi Adegbuyi also receives a first call-up after winning Player of the Tournament as the Flamingos lifted the WAFU B U17 Girls Cup, a performance that lifted her into Eguavoen’s plans.
The rest of the youthful group adds depth across the pitch, with defenders Farida Abdulwahab of Nasarawa Amazons and Tumininu Adeshina of Edo Queens, and midfielder Favour Nkwocha of FC Robo Queens. Together with Moshood, Akekoromowei, Uzoma and Adegbuyi, they give the coach several options to test in a competition where he needs to blend experience with fresh energy.
The youngsters will join established stars such as captain Rasheedat Ajibade, Nnadozie, Asisat Oshoala and Jennifer Echegini, who can guide them through the pressure of a two-legged tie.
Players are due at the AM2PM Hotel in Ijebu-Ode on Saturday, October 3, and Comoros host the first leg on Friday, October 9, before Nigeria welcome them for the return on Tuesday, October 13, with both matches at the Remo Stars Sports Stadium in Ikenne-Remo.
The stakes extend beyond a single tie. The winner will face either DR Congo or Morocco in the third round, scheduled for February 23 to March 6, 2027, and Africa will send only two teams to the Olympic tournament in Los Angeles in July 2028.
That narrow path means the newcomers could play a decisive role sooner than expected, and Eguavoen’s willingness to promote them signals that Nigerian women’s football is trusting its production line to deliver a stronger campaign than the winless Paris 2024 outing.
