Super Falcons pull out of invitational tournament in Turkey over visa issues

The Super Falcons have withdrawn from a 12-nation tournament which kicks off in Turkey this week, citing visa issues.

Super Falcons

They were due to travel on Monday ahead of their opening match against Kazakhstan on Wednesday, but did not have enough time to secure visas due to their participation in the WAFU Women’s Cup in Cote d’Ivoire.

“It was impossible for the team to sort visas and make it to the tournament in Turkey, so they had to pull out,” Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) spokesman Ademola Olajire told BBC Sport. They only just finished playing the Wafu Cup on Saturday and had a short time-frame to sort out visas and other important logistics for the trip to Turkey.

Importantly, attention and preparations will shift towards the big friendly against France in April.”

The team will now travel to Europe to play France in a friendly in April, after which the focus will be on securing a qualifying spot at the 2018 Africa Women Cup of Nations in Ghana. This year’s Women’s Nations Cup takes on extra significance as it will also decide the continent’s teams for the 2019 Women’s World Cup.

Nigeria are the only African team to have played in all of the Women’s seven World Cup tournaments since 1991 but they have failed to translate their continental dominance on the world stage.

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