Nigeria Content Online

In
the just concluded year, Nigerian women footballers were the toast of
the nation, the African continent and the world at large.

While the Falconets
reached the finals of the U-20 Women World Cup; the first time any
African women’s team would get to the finals of any FIFA World Cup, the
Flamingoes made it to the quarter-finals of the U-17 World Cup in
Trinidad and Tobago, before they were eliminated by South Korea.

The Senior National
team also tasted victory within the year. The Super Falcons coached by
Eucharia Uche, a former member of the team, reclaimed the African Women
Championship title they lost to Equatorial Guinea in 2008.

Superlative performance

The Falcons hope to
ride on the euphoria of the victory to this year’s FIFA Women World Cup
scheduled to take place in Germany between June and July.

“We have a good
team and what is important is that we are constantly improving. In
football, there is always room for improvement, and as we focus on the
World Cup, we will look at correcting our past mistakes so that we can
put on a good show at the finals,” Uche said.

The Super Falcons have had stellar performances over the years, starring in every World Cup and African Women Championship.

While they have
been crowned African champions six times, they have not been able to
carry that same form to the World Cup. Uche hopes all that will change
in the 2011.

For the said
improvement to happen, followers of the game believe there is the need
for a constant infusion of players from the women’s national league,
whose administration presently does not boost confidence of players and
club owners alike, into the team.

NFF gets a vote of no-confidence

Eddington Kuejebola, foremost supporter of women football and founder of Ufuoma Babes, is not happy with trends in the football.

“The Nigerian
Football Federation (NFF) when thinking of football does not think in
the long term and I think that is one of the things that would keep
football from growing in this country and for us as female football
lovers that is very discouraging”.

Another club owner,
Makbeth Esezobor of Makbeth Queens, which plays in Division two, which
does not start until sometime in April, also has some concerns.

“There is so much
uncertainty in the women’s football league. I am not even sure there is
a women’s league with the way they disregard us (players and owners).
Do not be surprised if the league [division one] which they said would
start in January does not begin. A lot of the club owners are already
discouraged”.

Esezobor added that his club has found a way to get involved in competitions without necessarily playing in the League.

“For us, we do not
usually wait for the NFF. What we do is look for tournaments where we
can compete in the course of the year. There is nothing that can be
done in the league without sponsorship. Something should be done to
save the female football.”

John Zaki, a
women’s football enthusiast advised the NFF to make funds available for
the league, saying it is the only way to save women football.

“If the NFF is
serious about helping the women’s league, the first thing they should
do is get assistance from the government and corporate bodies for it.
We rejoice when the Falcons win, but what is going to happen after the
league from where the players are picked eventually dies off?” he asked.

Zaki, who manages the Tin City Queens, hsaid he is in the process of registering the team to play.

Despite being one
of the oldest clubs in women football, Tin city Queens have been
inconsistent because of the inability to settle financial obligations
to players at different times of the club’s existence.

Endangered team?

The Super Falcons
have been a dominant force in African women’s football for two decades,
but many believe there would come a time when such dominance would wane
if enough is not done to help the league.

Many of the Falcons
may be on the verge of retirement and replacements have to be found if
the team is to remain relevant in future.

Uche has said she
aims to bring in young players from the cadet teams and the grassroots
and considers herself a product of the grassroots noting that if she
had not been discovered, she may not have had the opportunity of
playing at the international level.

One common call
from players and club owners alike is the need for funding and the need
to organise more tournaments that will encourage the players.

Kuejebola cites the example of the paltry prize monies awarded to winning teams.

“Do you know that
the cash prize for winning the Challenge Cup in 2009 was N200, 000
only? Do you know how much is spent on the players throughout the year?
How do you share that kind of money? The NFF should find sponsors for
the league. I think that would solve a lot of problems there,” he said.

Zaki agrees and advocates for more tournaments.

“There should be more competitions organised to help female football
develop but I tell you in a situation where the present tournaments are
not even funded how can we have new ones? Therefore, it is important we
put first things first to save the women’s league in our country”.