“Zambia are also a rising power in Women’s Football. The point is that the days of our much vaunted boast that we ‘ set records and break them’ on the African continent is almost over. As good as it feels, that ceiling is way too low, and it is crumbling down on us anyway. And it only by aiming higher, that we can not only reassert our dominance over the continent, but also take our place at the world stage; where the boast of having a record as good as that of the Americans is now embarrassing given what other nations are achieving at that level”.
Sadly, little did Oguntuyi know that Zambia will also defeat Nigeria in the losers final (3rd place match) as his article was published before the classification match. He must have been more angry that even Zambia denied Nigeria even 2022 WAFCON Bronze medals hence he is asking how can we achieve the turn-around of the Super Falcons before the team become extinct as the years ahead will be tougher for the aging team in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) fails to do the needful and on time too.
Said he: “To achieve this revival goal, first let’s be clear; there are no short cuts. We have seen how taking the easy path of loading the Super Eagles with foreign-harvested talents has derailed the train that looked set to take off between 1994 and 1998; that team has missed qualifications for the Nations Cup, and is now largely considered an outsider to win the tournament. The FIFA World Cup that used to be the ‘comforter’ is no longer the “birthright” we once claimed it to be. If we don’t think those are signs enough, there is nothing more to add really”.
Happily, Oguntuyi who has seen better days of sports journalism and has been in the trench with us in FFIG has touched on the area many of our colleagues are afraid to mention in their reports.
“We will need to rebuild our sporting structures from the ground up. We must be ready to tell ourselves the truth; criticize constructively. The media must do its work and without unnecessary aggression or praise-singing”, he said.
Oguntuyi finally posited: “We gave Africa the blueprint of women’s football, it is now time for us to learn from what they have done, to drastically close the gap in the past decade. and it starts with a clear policy and a willingness to see it through”.
After the above well researched article, I need not to repeat the points he made except to add that the pioneers of women’s football in Nigeria; those who sacrificed their yesterday so that the young women of today and the future can have a platform to excel in women’s sports especially football, will be wondering how “the mighty is falling”.
Some of the pioneers, include women’s football club owners, coaches, players, sponsors, administrators and sports journalists who played major roles to make Nigeria a strong force in women’s football in Africa and the world since 1991 when Super Falcons qualified for the first FIFA Women’s World Cup final in China.
World Cup final in China. Nigeria has featured in every edition and has qualified for the 2023 edition too.
Take a bow pioneer club owners-Chief Christopher Abisuga, Princess Hannah Bola Jegede, Prince Larry Ezeh (late), Elder Eddington Bola Kuejunbola, Chief C.N. Okoli, Chief (Mrs.), Chief Simbiat Abiola, Chief Mrs.Gina Yeseibo and Mazi John Obijiaku as well as pioneer club coaches like Alexander Aroh (I. Tigresses/Kakanfo Queens FC) and late Felix Ibe-Ukwu aka Gabosky (Larry Angels/Rivers Angels FC ).
Others are coaches Osaka Osakwe (Reinbar Angels); Ben Okoro (Ufuoma Babes); John Ogboju (Princess Jegede Babes); James Ita (11 Planners); Christian Nwoke (C.N. Okoli Babes); Johnson Fagbemi (Omo-Osagie Babes); Peter Bob-Manuel (Rivers Angels); Epiphany Diete-Spiff (NAF Queens); Daniel Evuemena (Delta Queens); Rolandson Odeh (Princess Jegede Babes) and Peter Dedevho (Ufuoma Babes), etc.
Also worthy of mentioned are pioneer women’s football writers- Harry Awurumibe, Sunny Ebohjaiye, Dapo Sotiminu, Henrietta Ukaigwe (late), Dare Joseph, Sammie Etuks, Bode Oguntuyi, Tonnie Okpara, Caroline Nwankwo, Lorine Oyiwe, Tessy Nwoke (late) and Bassey ‘Koma (late) among few others.
Yet, there are few football administrators and sponsors who supported the grassroot development and promotion of women’s football in Nigeria and Africa before and shortly after 1991 Super Falcons era.
They include Justice Chuba Ikpeazu and Patrick Okpomo, ex-Chairman and Secretary General of Nigeria Football Association (NFA) who officially met with the leadership of Nigeria Female Football Proprietors Association (NIFFPA) on March 22, 1989 at NFA Secretariat, Ogunlana Drive, Surulere, Lagos, to agree on August 1989 official launch of women’s football in Nigeria.
But it was the history-making ex-Secretary General, Mr. Momodu Kadiri who granted then Guardian Newspapers young reporter, Harry Awurumibe an exclusive interview on the financial difficulties facing the Association which was threatening the country from raising her first women’s football team to play in the 1st FIFA Women’s World Cup African qualifiers between Nigeria and Ghana on February 16, 1991 in Lagos.
It’s on record that 24 hours after the NFA scribe’s interview was published by Guardian Newspapers’ sister publication, Guardian Express, a multi-national beverage company, Cadbury Nigeria Plc, came to the rescue of NFA as it doled out a huge amount of money which the football house used to put the first set of 50 invited players to camp.
Construction giants Julius Berger Plc, Executive Vice Chairman of Concorde Press Ltd, Chief (Mrs), Simbiat Abiola; Proprietress of A-Z International Schools, Princess Hannah Bola Jegede and Her Excellency, Dr. (Mrs) Maryam Babangida, Wife of former Military Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida also played vital roles in the formation of the Super Falcons.
Pioneer national women’s football team Head Coach, Paul Ebiye Hamilton, a former Super Eagles Chief Coach and his assistants, David Oyamunugha and Niyi Akande and later Ismaila Mabo and Peter Egudia, later selected 31 players who made the team that defeated Ghana, Guinea and Cameroon home and away to qualify to represent Africa in the maiden FIFA Women’s World Cup final in China in 1991.
This is how Nigeria’s first generation women’s footballers emerged in 1991and a fearsome women’s football team that ruled Africa for decades and has won the WAFCON trophy for a record nine times in 31 years.
It will therefore be a sad commentary on the present generation of football administrators if the Super Falcons go into extinction under their watch.
Concluded
