The President of the ECOWAS Commission Kadré Desire Ouédraogo has showered encomiums on the Nigerian and Ivorian national soccer teams for putting up brilliant performances at the just-ended 9th African Women Football Championship (AWC) in Windhoek, Namibia.
The Super Falcons of Nigeria emerged champions for the seventh time at the continental tournament, which ended on Saturday 25th October 2014, while their Ivorian counterparts, the Elephants came third, with both ECOWAS teams clinching two of Africa’s three slots for the FIFA Women World Cup finals taking place in Canada in 2015.
In his congratulatory message to “Teams ECOWAS,” including Ghana, which narrowly missed progression from the Group stage at the Namibia fiesta, President Ouédraogo said the West African queens have done the region proud with their exploits, following in the footsteps of their men counterparts who also excelled in a parallel tournament in South Africa last year.
He said the outstanding display of dazzling skills by ECOWAS representatives at various competitions have confirmed the region’s reputable as the continent’s undisputed soccer powerhouse.
The President felicitated with all the countries that participated in the Namibia championship, including runners-up Cameroon, which along with champions Nigeria and third placed Cote d’Ivoire will fly Africa’s flag at Canada 2015.
Nigeria has dominated the continental women’s championship which was inaugurated in 1991 and became a biennial event in 1998, with the country only missing the title in 2008 and 2012, when Equatorial Guinea won it.
President Ouédraogo enjoined Teams ECOWAS and all the continent’s representatives to exceed Africa’s previous record by winning the coveted World trophy at Canada 2015.
