The Super Falcons’ Ikenne camp has reached 17 players after a third wave of arrivals on Tuesday, with Christy Ucheibe, Glory Ogbonna, Blessing Nkor, Francisca Ordega, Comfort Erhabor, and Sikiratu Isah checking in ahead of Wednesday evening’s first full training session at the Remo Stars Sports Complex.
Justine Madugu’s squad is taking shape in Ikenne. Six players joined the Super Falcons’ pre-WAFCON camp on Wednesday, taking the total number of players at the Remo Stars Sports Institute to 17 and leaving six more still to arrive before the group is complete. Wednesday evening’s training session will be the first organised session of the camp, giving Madugu his opening look at the group ahead of Friday’s friendly against Senegal at the Remo Stars Stadium, Ikenne-Remo.
The camp opened on Sunday with Asisat Oshoala, Shukurat Oladipo, and Kafayat Shittu as the first to arrive. On Tuesday, Joy Omewa, Oluwatosin Demehin, Toni Payne, Blessing Ilivieda, Folashade Ijamilusi, Anderline Mgbechi, Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene, and Omorinsola Babajide swelled the group to 11. Wednesday’s wave of Ucheibe, Ogbonna, Nkor, Ordega, Erhabor, and Isah has now pushed that total to 17, with the remaining six arrivals expected before the end of the week. Fans planning to follow the Senegal friendlies can use the Bet9ja YOHAIG promo code to get set up before Friday’s kick-off in Ikenne.
Arrivals by Wave
Super Falcons Ikenne Camp Arrivals
Sunday (Wave 1)
- Asisat Oshoala
- Shukurat Oladipo
- Kafayat Shittu
Tuesday (Wave 2)
- Joy Omewa
- Oluwatosin Demehin
- Toni Payne
- Blessing Ilivieda
- Folashade Ijamilusi
- Anderline Mgbechi
- Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene
- Omorinsola Babajide
Wednesday (Wave 3)
- Christy Ucheibe
- Glory Ogbonna
- Blessing Nkor
- Francisca Ordega
- Comfort Erhabor
- Sikiratu Isah
A Double-Header With Consequences
The two Senegal friendlies on Friday, June 5, and Monday, June 8, serve a dual purpose for Madugu. They are warmup games for WAFCON 2026 in the obvious sense, but they are also an opportunity to assess players whose claims for starting berths remain open. The head coach has a largely experienced group in Ikenne, with the likes of Ordega and Nkor returning after extended absences from the squad, while younger players like Mgbechi and Babajide are pushing for roles in the wider picture ahead of Morocco. Senegal themselves are in Group A of WAFCON 2026 alongside hosts Morocco, Algeria, and Kenya, making both friendlies a genuine look at the kind of opposition the Falcons may face in the knockout rounds if both sides progress as expected.
The stakes behind the friendlies go well beyond the games themselves. WAFCON 2026, running from July 25 to August 16 in Morocco, doubles as Africa’s qualifier for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. The four semi finalists earn automatic berths to the World Cup, with a fifth place finish leading to an intercontinental play-off. Nigeria are defending champions and are expected to be in the semi finals at minimum, but Madugu will know that assumptions count for nothing in knockout football. Getting the squad sharp and cohesive across these two Senegal games is the immediate job at hand. New Bet9ja users wanting to back the Falcons across both fixtures can explore the Bet9ja sign-up bonus page before Friday’s kick-off.
Players Still to Arrive
Six players had not yet checked in as of Wednesday morning, with the full complement of 23 expected before the Senegal game. The list of those still outstanding includes Rasheedat Ajibade, who captains the side and plays for Paris Saint-Germain in France, alongside Jennifer Echegini and goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie from Brighton’s WSL squad. Gift Monday, Esther Okoronkwo, and Ashleigh Plumptre round out the names still to arrive, though injury concerns around Okoronkwo and Plumptre could affect whether both make it to Ikenne at all. The full camp picture will only become clear once the final wave lands at the Remo Stars Sports Institute ahead of the first training session of the window. Fans eager to place their early bets on the Falcons’ WAFCON campaign can find a useful reference on the Bet9ja promo code page ahead of the tournament in Morocco.
📌 Did You Know?
- Christy Ucheibe, one of Wednesday’s arrivals at the Ikenne camp, plays for Benfica in the Portuguese Primeira Liga Feminina and is one of a growing number of Super Falcons players now based in the Iberian Peninsula. Her inclusion continues a trend of Nigerian women’s internationals finding regular first team football in Portugal and Spain.
- Francisca Ordega, who also checked in on Wednesday, is a veteran of multiple AFCON campaigns with the Super Falcons. Her return to the squad after an extended absence reflects Madugu’s policy of drawing on experienced options for a high stakes window, giving him width and directness that younger options in the squad cannot yet match consistently.
- Blessing Nkor, another Wednesday arrival, plays for Shakhtar Donetsk Women in Ukraine and was previously based in Belarus. She last featured for the Super Falcons in November 2024 during a friendly against France, making the Senegal games her first camp appearance in over six months.
- Senegal, Nigeria’s opponents in both June friendlies, are drawn in Group A of WAFCON 2026 alongside hosts Morocco, Algeria, and Kenya. Their inclusion in the same tournament means this friendly double-header carries genuine tactical value: Madugu can assess the Lions of Teranga’s system and personnel before both sides enter separate groups at the competition in July.
- Anderline Mgbechi, who arrived in the Tuesday wave, plays club football in Sweden and is one of a cluster of younger Super Falcons players who have established themselves in the Scandinavian leagues in recent seasons. The Swedish women’s Damallsvenskan has become an increasingly popular destination for Nigerian internationals seeking regular top flight minutes in Europe.
- The Remo Stars Sports Complex in Ikenne-Remo, Ogun State, where the camp is being held, is also the venue for both Senegal friendly matches. The facility was developed by Remo Stars FC owner Kunle Soname and has hosted multiple Super Falcons home games in recent years, becoming one of the most consistently used venues for women’s international football in Nigeria.
- Joy Omewa, who checked into camp on Tuesday, plays for Juventus Women in Italy’s Serie A Femminile. The Turin-based club finished in the top half of the Italian women’s league this season, and Omewa’s regular appearances in one of Europe’s most competitive women’s divisions have reinforced her standing as one of the Super Falcons’ most reliable options in the forward positions.
