ANDREW EKEJIUBA
Super Falcons star performer and Africa Women Cup of Nations veteran, Osinachi Ohale, has expressed great excitement and delight over her recent move to Italian Serie A club, AS Roma.
The 28-year-old, who last defended the colours of Real Madrid Women’s team in Spain, has joined the Giallorosse on undisclosed terms and becomes the club’s third acquisition ahead of the 2020-2021 season.
The Nigerian international center back, Ohale, turned out for Houston Dash in the United States, Vittsjo and Vaxjo in Sweden’s top division, prior to her move to Real Madrid in September 2019.Ohale said, “I chose Roma because of so many things; so many amazing things about the club, about this city and this country that interested me.
“I felt like it would be a great thing for me, to explore and to experience new things and a new challenge.”
Aside being a three-time World Cupper, Ohale has also represented Nigerian clubs, Rivers Angels and Delta Queens.
Meanwhile, with Roma having let go of full-backs, Eleonora Cunsolo and Angelo Orlando this summer, that leaves only Kaja Erzen and Elisa Bartoli as starters in the full-back positions, backed up by Angelica Soffia’s ability to come off the bench and play on both wings. However, Ohale’s ability to play anywhere across the back four positions will figure in at some point in the season.
She has shown to be a physically dominant centre-back who owns her aerial battles, both at the highest level of club football and at the 2019 World Cup.
Playing the ball out the back is one area where Roma has to improve; so it’ll be interesting to see if Ohale forms a rock-solid partnership with Allyson Swaby at the heart of defence, or if either one of those names would do better moving to full-back and making space for ball-playing defender, Tecla Pettenuzzo, who herself lacks the physique and confidence to challenge in the air.
All shall be revealed as the new season gets under way in just 23 days, while Roma still pushes to get their playmaker-in-chief, Andressa, a flight back to the capital from Brazil.