Galatasaray Women defender Tosin Demehin has been ruled out of the Super Falcons’ of Saturday’s (today) international friendly against France in Angers due to an injury, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Demehin’s absence from the game was announced by the Nigeria Football Federation on Friday before the team had their official training session at the match venue.
“The match comes up inside the 18,000-capacity Stade Raymond Kopa – home ground of Ligue 1 side Angers SCO, which was opened in 1912 and renovated seven years ago.
“Madugu and his charges are set to have the official training session at the match venue on Friday evening, with the coach robbed of a defender following injury to Turkey-based dependable centre-back Oluwatosin Demehin,” the NFF said in a statement.
As a result, Madugu is left with England-based Rofiat Imuran, Nasarawa Amazon’s Sikiratu Isah, veteran Osinachi Ohale, Michelle Alozie and the returning Ashley Plumptre to pick from in defence, just as FC Robo’s Shukurat Oladipo is another player that could be drafted into the heart of the defence.
The Super Falcons arrived in France on Wednesday ahead of the tie and despite having just two training sessions, coach Madugu is upbeat that his team will give their hosts a run for their money.
“We ensured that we prepare the team mostly from the psychological and tactical aspects.
“Quite a number of our foreign-based players have played against the top five countries in the world at the last Olympics. Playing against France should not be an issue for quite a number of our foreign-based players. Some also played against them at the World Cup in 2019,” Madugu said via Sportsboom.
“It’s for the home-based players that we are travelling with that we would try and see how we will also give them opportunities in the course of the game for us to also assess and see how they perform against a top-rated country like that.”
Nigeria and France last clashed nearly five-and-half years ago, when the Super Falcons needed a result to progress to the round of 16 at the FIFA Women’s World Cup finals.
Hosts France edged the tie by the odd goal, after Wendie Renard’s twice-taken penalty kick with 11 minutes left on the clock. The defeat notwithstanding, the Super Falcons made the round of 16 as results in another pool weighed in their favour, while France finished top of their group with a maximum of nine points from three matches.
Meanwhile, NFF president Ibrahim Gusau, as well as chairman of the NFF Women’s Football Committee, Aisha Falode and the General Secretary, Mohammed Sanusi will be in the stands to cheer the Super Falcons in Saturday’s international friendly match against the Les Bleues of France in Angers.