By: Gracious Akujobi
Executive member of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Dilichukwu Onyedinma has stated categorically that the non sponsorship of the women league in not peculiar to the women’s league alone.
In a chat with Prompt News Online, Dilichukwu queried the rationale behind the constant attack on the women’s game stating that the male leagues do not also have sponsors.
“Non sponsorship of our league is not a perculiar problem to women’s league but the issue is that people just like talking about our league as though we are the only ones who have not gotten sponsorship”
“We have written to a lot of companies who have not replied us as yet but we are not relenting in our efforts and drive to get sponsors .I believe we will get there because Rome was not built in a day”
Talking about the much talked about women’s champions league, the women leader said that the league will pick 12 teams from the present teams participating in the league who will represent Nigeria in the WAFU competition.
“We want to get 12 teams that will play a real league no more abridged league.This 12 teams will be chosen from the existing teams participating in the league currently ”
“This 12 teams will now play in what we call Premier Women League which is due to start by next season, while the other teams will continue to play in the professional league”
“The first and maybe second placed teams will represent Nigeria in the proposed WAFU competition which is due to start next season”
“Even if it is a four nation tournament, our aim is to expose our girls to club football outside Nigeria”
She also distanced her board from the not so good performance of the female national teams especially Super Falcons who had an appalling outing at the first Africa Women Championship (AWC).
“The failure of super falcons is not as a result of bad league ,that blame should be put on the technical crew of the team”
“Our players are the ones who are holding sway in the U-17,U-20.In super falcons also our girls who play in our league outnumber those who who are based abroad”
“so the league should not be held responsible for the failure of the super falcons or any female national team”
She also spoke on why coaches are yet to be appointed for the female teams bearing in mind that that U-17 and U-20 have world cup qualifiers to prosecute while Super Falcons are billed to take on Japan women team in a friendly in September.
“The non appointment of coaches for the women’s team is not that NFF do not care about the teams, is just that they have their hands full and soonest coaches will be appointed,” Dilichukwu said.
