Nigeria’s Falconets drop 5 players

“The country must parade the best legs for a respectable performance.”

The coach of the national under-20 women football team, Peter Dedevbo, has dropped five players from the team’s camp in Abuja for not meeting up to expectations.

The team’s Media Officer, Elizabeth Kah, who disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday, said the development brought to 11 the number of players dropped recently.

“The affected players are Sunshine Queens’ duo of Damilola Koku and Funsho Ogunrinola, Onyema Ijeoma who plays for Bahrain FC, Maria Oke of FC Robo, and Rosemary Okoro of Confluence Queens,” Ms. Kah said.

The Falconets have been in camp since May ahead of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup scheduled for Canada.

Ms. Kah quoted Dedevbo as saying the players were dropped because they did not exhibit the necessary ability to be part of the team.

“The country must parade the best legs for a respectable performance. I have worked with these girls for some time now and I know their individual skills. That’s why I had to drop some along the way. I want to make sure that when we storm Canada we should go with our best legs. I also want to thank the girls for giving their best. It is just that only their best wasn’t good enough,” Dedevbo said.

The team spokesperson stated that Dedevbo also urged the remaining players in camp to show more commitment and zeal as no player was guaranteed a place yet in the team.

The Falconets and the Black Princesses of Ghana are Africa’s two representatives at the competition.