Black Queens get boost

Nigeria's Super Falcons may lose as much as five players for the Olympic Games Qualifier against Ghana's Black Queens next week.

The players, Vera Okolo, Rita Chikwelu, Evelyn Nwabuoko, Ayi Yusuf and Rachel Ayegba all based in Finland have been with the Falcons for seven weeks even though they were given just four weeks by their clubs and they fear if they do not return to Finland they may run into trouble.

"My club chairman is very understanding especially when I talk to him and explain things to him but staying away for four months is not good at all," Okolo said "I may get paid for the first month but for any other month I stay away I will lose my salary. For the other girls, I do not think they will get paid at all for all the time they spent in Nigeria."

Okolo, alongside Rita Chikwelu were in Lagos on Tuesday morning after the five nil win over South Africa on Sunday and their mission was to get a flight back to Finland.

"I should have left on Tuesday night but the airline said they were all full booked until August so I do not know what to do now," Vera said.

"It is not as if we do not want to play for Nigeria but what about our salaries we will lose while we are here. If we have to play the two qualifiers against Ghana and Ethiopia and then the World Cup it will mean we have been out for four months."

Last year three players- Yinka Kudaisi, Maureen Mmadu and Faith Ikidi were kicked out of their Swedish club, QBIK for refusing to dump the Falcons during the Africa women Championship.

Nigeria is placed first on the standings of the four-team group table which also includes Ghana and South Africa, after the Black Queens beat the Ethiopia 3-1 in Addis Ababa, they lie second on the table. The Black Queens would be at home for the next match against rivals, Nigeria, on August 12 at the El-Wak stadium in the capital, Accra.

Source: Kwadwo-Ntim 'Micky' Charles

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