By Harry Awurumibe Never in the recent time has a women’s football match generated so much media attention than the just concluded Nigeria Women’s Football League (NWFL) newly introduced Champions Shield which was played at the Agege Stadium, Lagos on Sunday,March 4, 2018.
The match featured two top Nigeria women’s football clubs namely Rivers Angels FC of Port Harcourt and Nasarawa Amazons FC of Lafia. The Angels are the AITEO Cup winners while the Amazons are the NWFL Super 4 Champions hence the lot fell on both teams to do battle at Agege last weekend to determine the true Champions of Nigeria.
It took a penalty shootout for Rivers Angels to defeat the Amazons to become the maiden Champions Shield winners, although Nasarawa Amazons dazzled the crowd with good skills on the day.
But such high profile could not have been possible without the good foresight of a visionary Chairperson of the NWFL board, Lady Aisha Falode who single handedly did the unthinkable in this harsh economic situation in the country to broker a huge sponsorship deal with the benevolent Lagos State Government led by Sports loving Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.
That the amiable Governor agreed to bankroll the NWFL Champions Shield at a very short notice showed the love the Governor has for the Nigerian youth, the womenfolk and for the Facilitators.
With the financial support she was able to muster Falode went ahead to organize what could be described as a football festival incorporating Mentoring program and hosting of a Women’s Football Congress all in Lagos in a space of two days.
These events no doubt brought national attention to Lagos State as the media which is the primary constituency of Falode did great job by publicising the events for days.
Indeed, from across the 36 states and Abuja came football family- players, coaches, officiating officials, media, administrators, and women’s football stakeholders.
Above all, the quality of football artistry exhibited by the players of both teams reminded one of those days of the likes of ex- Super Falcons dazzlers such as Patience Avre, Rita Nwadike, Stella Mbachu, Louisa Akpagu and Maureen Mmadu now the Assistant Coach of Super Falcons.
Also, the crowd that watched the match at Agege have not been recorded in the recent time. School children turned up enmass while lost friends resurfaced at the event including members of the foremost Female Football Interest Group (FFIG) who came to support a worthy venture.
In fact, Falode and her Board deserves commendation for pulling off the event at short notice. That they spent huge sums of money to pay for accommodation and refreshment for teams, delegates, invited guests and honorarium showed the sincerity of purpose and the will to lead by example.
Needless to advice all stakeholders, the media inclusive to eshew negative vibes that will scare away would-be Sponsors from being involved in the battle to secure big sponsorships to drive the promotion of women’s football in Nigeria.
In summary Falode has joined the small group of Nigerians who either used their money or got sponsorships to put women’s football in strong footing that all are enjoying today.
Take a bow Lady Aisha Falode, Princess Hannah Bola Jegede of Jegede Babes, Prince Larry Ezeh of Rivers Angels, Late Simibiat Abiola of Kakanfo Queens, Alhaja Rashidat Oladimeji of Tigress FC, Hon. Ayo Omidiran of Omidiran Babes, Hon. Harry Awurumibe and Mr. Iain Nelson who brought Pepsi/7Up Bottling Co.to Sponsor both the Women’s Football League, Challenge Cup and Super Falcons for four years (1998 to 2001).
Let all men of goodwill support Falode in the task to develop and promote women’s football in Nigeria and globally too.
