Paris Olympics: Key Super Falcons Stars Missing Including Plumptre, Ebi As Randy Waldrum Names Squad

• The Nigeria Football Federation recently revealed the roster of Super Falcons players selected to compete at the Paris Olympics
• Several notable names were absent from the squad list compiled by the coach of the Nigeria women's team, Randy Waldrum
• Sports Brief shines the spotlight on the noteworthy omissions from the Paris Olympics squad announced by the Falcons' coach

The Super Falcons of Nigeria are set to participate in the Olympics for the first time since 2008, and all hands are on deck to ensure a successful campaign for the perennial African champions.

The head coach of the team, Randy Waldrum, has recently released a list of 18 players and an additional four alternate players who are set to fly the green and white flag at the games in Paris.

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The list announced in a press statement by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), features players who have become mainstays for Nigeria since Waldrum took over affairs in October 2020.

However, a few notable absentees have also been noticed. Sports Brief shines the spotlight on those players who missed out on the Super Falcons Olympics squad list.

Super Falcons players missing from Olympics team list

Ashleigh Plumptre

The 26-year-old is one of the notable absentees from the team list of the Super Falcons. The Al-Ittihad defender was left out due to an ankle injury she suffered in the early stages of 2024.

The former Leicester defender has undergone surgery on her ankle since but sadly has not been able to recover in time for the Paris Olympics.

Plumptre, who switched international allegiance to feature for Nigeria after playing through the youth ranks of the English team, was a mainstay in the Nigeria women's squad at the 2023 FIFA World Cup and the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) held in Morocco.

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Ifeoma Onumonu

The Utah Royals forward is another surprising absence from the Super Falcons squad list.

Since her debut with the Nigerian team, the 30-year-old has often been one of the first names on the team sheet, especially since Coach Waldrum took the reins.

The combative forward featured in all of Nigeria's games at the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Onumonu was also part of the squad that secured qualification for the Paris Olympics.

Francisca Ordega

The veteran forward is another major absentee for the Super Falcons at the Olympics. The CSKA Moscow star, who has been an integral part of the Nigerian team, was also omitted by Waldrum.

There were reports suggesting the manager was being pressured to include the attacker in the Nigerian women's squad, but Ordega has dispelled the rumours, according to Footballlive.ng.

The forward has been an integral part of the Super Falcons setup since her debut in 2010, having played in four World Cups: 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023.

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Onome Ebi

The 41-year-old was among the notable names excluded from the final squad list for the Paris Olympics.

The veteran defender recently took to social media to criticise discussions surrounding her exclusion from the team, drawing comparisons to Brazil's Marta Vieira da Silva, who remains part of her country's football set-up despite her age.

The defender last featured for the Super Falcons at the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, where she played six minutes in Nigeria’s group-stage fixture against the Republic of Ireland.

Ebi is the first and only African footballer, male or female, to play in six World Cups. She also participated in the Beijing 2008 Olympics, the last time the Super Falcons competed in the tournament.

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Sports Brief also reported on Super Falcons' Asisat Oshoala making history with her US side, Bay FC.

The 29-year-old converted a penalty as the NWSL side secured a crucial win against Racing Louisville.