Super Falcons midfielder Deborah Abiodun will be available for selection as Nigeria prepare to face Zambia in the quarter-finals of the ongoing 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
Abiodun missed Nigeria’s final group game against Algeria due to a one-match suspension following yellow card accumulations. In her absence, head coach Justine Madugu handed Christy Ucheibe her first start of the tournament.
The 21-year-old was cautioned in the 22nd minute of Nigeria’s opening 3-0 win over Tunisia and again in the 55th minute of their second group match. As a precaution, she was substituted in both matches, limiting her total game time to 114 minutes.
The Dallas Trinity midfielder will now be hoping to regain her place in the starting lineup for the all-important encounter against the Copper Queens.
Abiodun made her mark during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand under coach Randy Waldrum and has since established herself as a key figure in the Super Falcons’ midfield, also securing a place in the squad for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics.
Nigeria are aiming for a record-extending 10th WAFCON title in Morocco, having claimed nine of the 12 editions held since the tournament’s inception in 1998, making them the most successful women’s national team in African football history.