Desire Oparanozie demands more NFF 'care' for Super Falcons

Following a 12-month hiatus, Desire Oparanozie has asked the Nigeria Football Federation to pay more attention to senior women's national team.

The 23-year-old's solitary strike against Cameroon in the final of the 2016 Africa Women's Cup of Nations in Yaoundé gave the Super Falcons their record eighth continental title.

Ever since, the team have not had camping or a warm-up match. And the Guingamp forward is 'worried' over the team's neglect from the nation's football body.

"It is quite pathetic because the Africa Women's Nations Cup and the Women's World Cup are around the corner," Oparanozie told BBC Sport.

"Other African teams are stepping up and playing friendly games and other tournaments to prepare for the task ahead. And we the defending champions have not done anything enough to show we really want to stay up there.

"Since this year, there are no matches, no form of regrouping and nothing. I think it was last month, they named a new coach for the Super Falcons and we just only heard on the internet and ever since then, we've not heard about anything.

"We don't know the NFF's plans. The communication is just not there. For me, I got to know about the new coach's appointment through the internet," she continued.

"I was not informed by any member of the Federation, the team's administrator or the media officer. The only person I got to discuss this with was the team's captain and she also got to know on the internet. I've no idea when we are going to be called to camp.

"I'm very much concern. Probably to win the tournament, you have to set up good preparations, regroup the girls and make plans for camping and since we've been sleeping, while other teams have been doing the necessary things.

Oparanozie further expressed her doubt over Nigeria's chances of retaining the African title assessing other nations' progress, while appealing for Fifa intervention.

"I'm pretty very worried that the next year Nations Cup is going to be very tough for us. Well, In my opinion, I would say they don't care about us enough but when you put that to them, they will deny it.

“To be honest, they care more about the men's than women's. I honestly think Fifa should put pressure on the NFF and other football associations if that will make them sit up and do what they have to do," she concluded.