Peter Dedevbo, Head Coach of Nigeria’s under-20 women football team, has extended the deadline for some foreign-based players yet to arrive camp for a week.
Monica Iheakam, the team’s Media Officer who disclosed this on Monday in Abuja, said that the deadline is now Saturday.
Kazakhstan-based Chinwendu Ihezuo and Uchenna Kalu of Orlando Kicks in the U.S. are among players still expected in camp.
The others are Valerie Awelewa of Genk FC of Belgium and Aminat Yakubu of Minsk FC of Belarus.
The team had opened camp in Abuja since Sept. 27 in preparation for the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Papua New Guinea scheduled for Nov. 13 to Dec. 3.
The coach had however given the four players a deadline of Saturday, October 8, to report in camp.
According to Iheakam, the players have already communicated with the coach the reason for the delay in their arrival in camp.
“They called the coach and begged him to extend the deadline, informing him that they have Champions League matches in their various clubs to participate in.
“Even though their absence has brought about a little setback in the team’s plans, but the coach expects them to resume on time in order to fix them properly into the team.
“The coach also warned that after Saturday, the players should consider themselves out of the team if they still failed to show up in camp,’’ she said.
Nigeria is placed in Group B alongside Japan, Spain and Canada in the competition in Papua New Guinea.
