Portuguese club Benfica Ladies is set to go into battle with the Nigeria Football Federation over the invitation of their new striker Janet Akekoromowei for the FIFA U20 Women World Cup in Poland, www.Footynaija.com has learned.
The club is aggrieved by the fact that it nursed the player back to fitness after she broke her leg in a qualifying match against Senegal in February.
The 18-year old was left to fend for herself afterwards until Benfica invited her and got her the proper treatment she needed to get back to action.
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The injury was responsible for Akekoromowei’s inability to join Barcelona Femeni as the Spanish giants became discouraged after the mishap.
Despite the injury, Benfica took a leap of faith and signed the striker in July. Her contract runs until 2028.
The NFF’s invitation letter addressed to the club less than a week after she was unveiled on July 22, has left the club fuming.
The player was asked to report to the national team’s camp at West Point Hotel in Abuja on August 1.
Is Benfica right to be aggrieved?
According to sources close to the player, the NFF paid little attention to the player after her injury in February. She was sent home after a scan and left to heal by herself.
Many people who watched the game and saw the injury as she snapped her knee feared that her career could be over.
But Benfica took a chance to inspect her injury and gave her a chance to recover in a safe space.
Now the NFF has come calling, after failing to support her through the recovery process.
Akekoromowei was part of the last U20 squad that lost to eventual finalists Japan 2-1 in the Round of 16 in Colombia.
She was expected to become a star member of this year’s squad after establishing herself at the domestic scene where she was player of the season in the NWFL for Nassarawa Queens.
Can Benfica keep her from the World Cup?
Legally, a club cannot prevent a player from joining their national team upon invitation. They can only stall the player’s departure.
A club is generally obliged to release the player to her national association if she is properly called up.
Benfica has to accept that the player will be unavailable during the applicable national-team period.
