Super Falcons: Coach Eguavoen responds to Oshoala, Plumptre absence

Super Falcons interim head coach Augustine Eguavoen has played down the absence of key players Asisat Oshoala and Ashleigh Plumptre ahead of Nigeria’s 2028 Olympic qualifying clash against Comoros.

Nigeria will face Comoros in a two-legged second-round tie, with the first leg scheduled for Friday, October 9, and the return leg on Tuesday, October 13.

Both matches will be played at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne-Remo after Comoros failed to provide a CAF-approved venue for the fixtures. The aggregate winner will advance to the third round of the African qualifiers.

Eguavoen initially named a 28-player squad for the two-legged clash, including experienced names like Oshoala and Plumptre, but both players have withdrawn from the squad.

Plumptre, who missed the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations through a foot injury, was recalled for the Olympic qualifiers but requested to be excused after suffering a ligament injury. Oshoala was also granted permission to miss the assignment.

Eguavoen backs Super Falcons replacements

Despite losing two key players, the 61-year-old insists the Super Falcons still have enough quality to seal a two-legged victory over Comoros.

The former Super Eagles coach also confirmed that Benfica duo Oluwatosin Demehin and Flourish Sabastine will miss the tie, with residency permit issues preventing their involvement. Belarus-based forward Blessing Okpe was subsequently invited as a replacement for Oshoala.

“It is true that we have a number of withdrawals, notably Asisat Oshoala, Ashley Plumptre and Oluwatosin Demehin,” Eguavoen told the NFF media.

“However, I have confidence in their replacements as these ones also have the quality and experience to contribute meaningfully to the team’s success against Comoros.

“Everyone has settled in well in camp as we have a full house now, and our focus is to present a strong and competitive squad for the two matches

Eguavoen will rely heavily on captain Rasheedat Ajibade, Chiamaka Nnadozie, Toni Payne, Christy Ucheibe, Jennifer Echegini, Michelle Alozie and other experienced players as Nigeria begin their pursuit of a second consecutive Olympic appearance.

The Super Falcons received a bye into the second round because of their FIFA ranking, while Comoros reached this stage after demolishing Sudan 30-0 on aggregate, winning the two legs 17-0 and 13-0.

Nigeria returned to the Olympic women's football tournament at Paris 2024 after a 16-year absence and will need to navigate the five-round African qualifying process to secure another place at Los Angeles 2028.

The Super Falcons will also be looking to push their recent failures behind them. The 10-time African Champions failed to reach a WAFCON semi-final for the first time in history three months ago.

That failure led them to miss out on a direct qualification spot to the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup. Confounded to a play-off spot, Nigeria failed to make the most of it as South Africa clinched a 2-1 victory.

With Demehin and Plumptre out, Comoros will look to prey on a new-look Nigerian defence, which will be without Osinachi Ohale, who pulled the curtains on her International career last month.