Like the Flamingoes, Nigeria’s U20 female national team, Falconets may not move beyond the group stage at the for the 2016 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in Papua New Guinea.

The team’s preparation for the championship is being threatened, following the incessant demand from clubs in the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) for their players for League matches.

While Head Coach Peter Dedevbo and his technical crew are trying hard to knock the team into shape for the tournament scheduled to start in November 13, domestic clubs have continued to tamper with the team’s training schedule.

According to Dedevbo, within the two weeks since camp opened, players have been released on several occasions for club engagements. The coach further lamented that while he was still contending with the late arrival of foreign–based players, Clubs like Bayelsa Queens, Sunshine Queens and Nasarawa Amazons, whose players make the bulk of the invited home–based girls in the camp, want all their players returned for midweek and weekend matches.

 “This situation is not easy for me and my technical crew because a lot of the players we need to work with are being dragged away by their clubs to honor midweek and weekend League matches,” he said.

“Bayelsa Queens, Nasarawa Amazons and Sunshine Queens want their players for matches throughout the week till October 27.

“This is frustrating my training schedule because it means I have only few days to work with the full compliment of players before we leave for the tournament. I have always built the foundation of my team on the home –based players. The absence of players affected the trial match we had on Sunday evening.

“I understand that they need these players to do well in the League, but we are running out of time and we need to draw a line between national interest and club interest.”

Nigeria is grouped alongside Japan, Spain and Canada. The Falconets will play their first match against Japan at Port Moresby, Bava park, Papua New Guinea on November 13.