The Royal Spanish Football Federation are poised to win the recruitment battle for highly rated forward Edna Imade, who has also drawn interest from the Nigeria Football Federation.

Imade is eligible to represent the Super Falcons, the reigning African champions, through her parents, as well as Spain, having spent over two decades in the European nation.

Spain manager Sonia Bermúdez has handed Imade her first senior call-up ahead of next week's decisive two-leg UEFA Women's Nations League final against Germany.

During her squad announcement, Bermúdez praised Imade's attributes, describing her as a prolific scorer with exceptional aerial ability, remarkable pace and a sharp instinct for exploiting attacking spaces.

Should Imade feature in either of the fixtures, she would be cap-tied to Spain, effectively ending any opportunity to play for Nigeria.

The forward had previously expressed a strong desire to represent the Super Falcons, but changed her decision after she was approached by Spain.

The Nigeria Football Federation has faced a similar setback before, notably with Barcelona teenager Vicky Lopez, who, like Imade, had once shown interest in representing Nigeria before becoming cap-tied to her country of birth, Spain.

Spain will defend their UEFA Women's Nations League title against Germany on November 28 and December 2, with the first leg in Kaiserslautern and the return in Madrid.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel