Barcelona includes two Nigerian-eligible forwards in preliminary squad
Posted : 27 April 2023
Barcelona, the reigning champions of the Spanish Primera División, have revealed their preliminary squad for the second leg of the UEFA Women's Champions League semi-final clash against Chelsea, set to take place at Camp Nou on Thursday evening.
Among the 26 players listed, two Nigeria-eligible strikers, Asisat Oshoala and Vicky Lopez, have earned their spots.
Oshoala, having recovered from her physical ailments, retains her place in the squad.
On the other hand, Lopez, a young talent from the Barcelona youth team, has been promoted to the first team for the crucial encounter against Chelsea.
In the first leg in London, Oshoala made a brief appearance, playing only six minutes after coming off the bench to replace Caroline Graham Hansen, who scored the winning goal.
Unfortunately, Lopez, aged 16, remained on the bench throughout the match and couldn't make her second appearance in the UEFA Women's Champions League.
Barcelona's coach, Jonatan Giráldez, now faces the decision of whether to include Oshoala in the starting lineup, as she was only fit enough for a substitute role in the first leg.
Oshoala has been impressive this season, scoring a total of 25 goals in all competitions, with five of them coming in the UEFA Women's Champions League.
She holds the distinction of being the first African player to score in a UEFA Women's Champions League final, accomplishing the feat against Olympique Lyonnais in 2019.
Notably, Oshoala is a five-time winner of the African Women's Footballer of the Year award and has previously played for renowned clubs like Arsenal and Liverpool.
ADD A COMMENT :
Hot Topics
User name is required Email Id is required Comment is required
ADD A COMMENT :