Nigeria women’s captain Asisat Oshoala says the Super Falcons involvement in the 2021 Summer Series in Texas, USA, is a great opportunity for the team to continue developing.
The reigning African champions have been invited to join World Cup holders the US women’s team (USWNT), as they prepare for the Olympics, as well as Jamaica and Portugal in the four-team event set to take place between 10 and 16 June.
In the past the nine-time African champions have not played many friendlies between competitive matches but this will the Super Falcons second series of the year after winning the Turkish Cup in February.
“It’s a great opportunity for us to be involved in a competition involving other top teams,” the 26-year-old Barcelona forward told BBC Sport Africa.
“We are actually happy to have another incredible opportunity of coming together again after the February camping in Turkey.
“It’s another opportunity to hep the team build and get better ahead of the qualifying [African Women Cup of Nations] games coming up later on.”
Before the summer series Oshoala, a four-time African Player of the Year, will play in the European Champions League final for Barcelona Femeni against Chelsea Women on 16 May.
First up for Oshoala and her team will be Jamaica at BBVA Stadium in Houston on 10 June, followed by a meeting with Portugal three days later at the same venue.
Before traveling to Austin’s Q2 stadium to face four-time World and Olympics champions USA at the home of new Major League Soccer club, Austin FC, on 16 June.
Positive step
The match against Nigeria will mark the first time the USA has ever faced the Super Falcons outside of a global tournament and it will be just the third-ever friendly against an African country, with the previous two coming against South Africa.
The USA have won all five of their previous meetings against Nigeria – four of those victories came at World Cup finals and the other in the Olympics.
The format of the Summer Series will feature the USA and Nigeria playing three matches while Portugal and Jamaica will play two. Hence, no standings will be kept and all matches will be treated as friendlies.
“It’s also a massive step in testing the team against a very very good and experienced side,” Oshoala added.
“In this case winning doesn’t really matter, the coach will have the chance to look at more talents and perhaps start building his team too.
“To be part of a mini-tournament against some really good teams is a really positive step for us as players and the country.”
Reality check
The games will also come as a reality check for Nigeria who would have been hoping they would be preparation for July’s delayed Olympics in Tokyo but for the second successive time they failed to qualify for the quadrennial event.
Nigeria’s American head coach, Randy Waldrum, who was formely in charge of US Women’s league club Houston Dash, believes the Super Falcons are flying in the right direction.
“The Summer Series is an interesting event and the teams featuring are of very high quality,” he said.
“It is a great prospect for us as we continue to build ahead of the qualifying games for next year’s Women Africa Cup of Nations.”
The Confederation of African Football (Caf) will hold the draw for next year’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Cairo on Monday, with the finals set to be hosted by Morocco.
Continental giants Nigeria are the only African team to have played in all eight Women’s World Cups since 1991, but they have failed to translate their continental dominance on the world stage.
Their best performance at the World Cup came when reaching the quarter-finals in 1999.
