Female Clubs groan under Falcons call ups

More than 100 players who fall under the age limit have been sweating it out under the tutelage of coaches Felix Ibe-Ukwu and Rolandson Odeh, but Proprietors and Coaches of female football clubs insist the timing of the open camp is not right.

“I have lost close to 15 players to the camp and 2 others will be on their way to the Falcons camp, so how are we supposed to prepare for the league which starts on Saturday and who is left in camp to train?” Rivers Angels Coach, Tunde Lawson told nigeriasports.com

“I should have expected this open camp to be for unknown players to prove their mettle and then the league players invited after the first phase of screening is over.”

Cllub Chairman, Larry Eze was of the same opinion when he spoke with nigeriasports.com.

“Our team is depleted with less than a week to the start of the season. The arrangement is not the best but I guess that is the way the FA wants it. It will surely affect our program but we will surely get by.”

Team Manager of FCT Queens, Nuhu Goroh told nigeriasports.com that he had 11 players out in the camp and 4 others who will join the Falcons on Sunday morning, but says his advantage is that the Falcons camp is in Abuja and they can easily have their players released for the league.

“Surely our training sessions cannot be full because of the loss of players. If we had our way we would have kicked against but we just have to pray that the players do not get injured in camp. One thing we can be sure of is their fitness and we will seek for their release for league matches.”

Pelican Stars of Calabar have 9 players in the U-19 camp and will send another 9 to the Falcons camp while Delta Queens will lose about 18 players in all to the national teams.

Team Manager of the Club, Ani, insists that Pelican Stars will not play the league with 18 of their players out in National camps.

"Who will pay the players? The NFA? Besides, how can we play with just less than twelve players left in the team?"

The NFA are however insisting they will not shift the league since it has been postponed four times already.