MK Dons Captain Omenazu Picks Nigeria for WAFCON 2026

MK Dons Captain Omenazu Picks Nigeria for WAFCON 2026

 

The MK Dons Women captain is eligible to play for reigning European champions England, but her heart has always pointed in one direction. Nigeria.

Favour Omenazu didn’t need long to answer the question. When asked whether she had considered pulling on a Nigeria jersey, the MK Dons Women captain was clear, direct, and emotional about it. Representing the Super Falcons, she said, would be one of the proudest moments of her life. That declaration matters. Omenazu, born and raised in England, is fully eligible to represent the reigning European champions. She chose Nigeria. With the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations scheduled to be hosted in Morocco, the timing of her commitment couldn’t be more significant.The Super Falcons, who won their tenth WAFCON title in July 2025 by beating hosts Morocco 3-2 in a memorable final, are already preparing to defend that crown. Every eligible Nigerian talent in the diaspora counts. Omenazu wants to be part of that story.

In Her Own Words

Speaking to the AYSuga Channel in an interview filmed at Stadium MK, Omenazu left no room for ambiguity about where her international loyalties lie.

“It would be a proud moment because that’s where I am from, that’s where my family is from. Everybody back home would be ready to go to any games, support in any way they can, and it would mean so much to give back to my heritage and where I come from. So it would be amazing.”

She went further, framing the Super Falcons shirt not as an ambition she’s recently discovered but as a goal she’s carried throughout her career.

“The interest has always been not only to play at the highest level. One of my goals is to play for my national team, represent my country, and do well. I want to contribute to the success that we already have.”

Who Is Favour Omenazu?

Football is essentially in Omenazu’s blood. Her father was a goalkeeper during his playing days, and that background has clearly shaped how she reads the game. She came through the Leicester City academy system before moving through spells at Bugbrooke St Michaels, Northampton Town, and Stourbridge. She eventually landed at MK Dons Women, where she’s now the captain.

Those who’ve worked with her describe a player of rare versatility. She’s listed primarily as a midfielder, a number eight who loves to attack and win the ball back. But her best performances, by her own admission, have often come at right-back, a position her former coaches at Leicester pushed her into because her physical and technical profile fit so well.

“My most Woman of the Match awards have come from playing at right-back. Even when I was at Leicester City, they put me there because of those attributes, and apparently, I flourished there. I’m naturally a midfielder, a number eight. I love to attack, but I’m also really strong defensively. I’m aggressive, I break up the opposition’s play, help us regain possession, and then drive us forward.”

Pace, aggression, aerial ability, and a strong engine. Those are the traits her handlers highlight most. She’s been rated as one of the standout right-backs in the fourth tier of English women’s football, a level that demands consistency across a long, physically demanding season.

Why This Decision Is Bigger Than It Looks

Nigeria’s women’s football programme has benefited enormously from diaspora players making the same choice Omenazu is making. Asisat Oshoala, the greatest women’s footballer Nigeria has produced, came through a domestic pathway. But players like Michelle Alozie, who plays in the NWSL, and several others in the current Super Falcons squad were born or raised outside Nigeria. Their decision to wear green and white has strengthened the team year after year.

That’s why Omenazu’s commitment is worth taking seriously. She’s not just expressing sentiment. She’s signalling availability to Nigeria’s scouting network at a moment when the Super Falcons are actively building a squad capable of defending their WAFCON title in Morocco.

Context: Nigeria is placed in Group C for WAFCON 2026, with defending champion status making them one of the favourites for the tournament. The Super Falcons have now won the title ten times, more than any other nation on the continent. Any player who wants to compete at the highest level of African women’s football needs to be in this conversation.

The Position Debate: Midfielder or Right-Back?

Here’s a question worth asking. Where does Omenazu fit best in a Super Falcons setup? Nigeria’s midfield has historically been competitive, with the national team often fielding players from England, the NWSL, and European clubs. Getting game time in the centre of the park won’t be straightforward.

But the right-back position is a different conversation. The Super Falcons have had moments where depth at full-back has been a concern, and Omenazu’s profile, technical, athletic, comfortable going forward, fits what modern international managers look for in that role. Her Leicester City coaches saw it. Her MK Dons record confirms it.

If Nigeria’s technical staff are paying attention, Omenazu’s versatility is exactly the kind of option that makes squad planning easier. She can cover multiple positions without looking out of place. That’s valuable at a tournament.

📝 Editorial View

Omenazu’s declaration is a reminder of something Nigeria’s football administrators sometimes take for granted: diaspora talent doesn’t automatically choose Nigeria. England, as reigning European champions, represents one of the most competitive women’s national team environments in the world. Omenazu is eligible. She has a choice. She picked Nigeria.

That choice deserves a response. The NFF and Super Falcons coaching staff should be actively tracking players like Omenazu, not waiting for them to make themselves known. The diaspora pipeline has been one of the Super Falcons’ greatest competitive advantages. Nurturing it requires intentional outreach, not passive hope. Omenazu has opened the door. Nigeria’s football officials need to walk through it.

What Happens Next

Omenazu has publicly made her position clear. The next step is a formal approach from Nigeria’s football structures. WAFCON 2026 in Morocco gives the Super Falcons a genuine opportunity to win an eleventh continental title on the soil where they won their tenth. Building the right squad to do that requires casting a wide net.

For Omenazu, the journey from the fourth tier of English women’s football to a major international tournament would be significant. But stranger stories have happened in Nigerian football. The Super Falcons have always been a team that finds its best players in unexpected places. Sometimes, a captain at MK Dons is exactly what a coach needs.

📌 Did You Know?

  1. Nigeria’s Super Falcons have won the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 10 times, more than any other country in the competition’s history.
  2. In the WAFCON 2025 final held in Morocco, Nigeria beat the hosts 3-2 in a tense final to claim their tenth title in July 2025.
  3. Favour Omenazu is eligible to represent England, the reigning European champions at senior women’s level, having been born and raised in the country.
  4. Omenazu came through the Leicester City women’s academy before moving to Bugbrooke St Michaels, Northampton Town, Stourbridge, and eventually MK Dons Women.
  5. Her father was a goalkeeper during his playing days, making Favour the next generation of a football family rooted in the sport.
  6. Nigeria has been placed in Group C for WAFCON 2026, with the tournament set to be hosted in Morocco.
  7. Omenazu has described herself as a natural number eight who has earned most of her Woman of the Match awards while playing at right-back, highlighting her versatility as a key asset.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top