By Harry Awurumibe
For the strong followers of women’s football and the Super Falcons, Nigeria’s senior women football team in particular, Saturday, October 31, 1998 hold a lot of good memories because their darling team won its first-ever international trophy, eight years after the women football team was formed through the efforts of some patriotic individuals and corporate Nigerians.
It has been 25 years since the 1998 African Women’s Championship (AWC) ‘Nigeria’98’ which was the 3rd edition of the African women’s association football tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), according to the continental football governing body’s records was held.
But it was actually, the first time CAF will put up a trophy to be competed for by qualified countries after it had selected the best women’s team to represent African continent in the two previous FIFA Women’s World Cup final in 1991 and 1995 in China and Sweden respectively on home and away basis, without organising a championship for African women teams.
Since this edition which Nigeria won on home soil without conceding a single goal in five matches, the tournament has been organized biennially with Nigeria and South Africa hosting three times, Equatorial Guinea twice just as Namibia, Cameroon, Ghana and Morocco have all played hosts once.
Expectedly, Nigeria is the most successful nation in the history of the tournament since it became full-scale in 1998, winning 11 of the 14 editions so far. Equatorial Guinea won as hosts of the 2008 and 2012 editions just as reigning champions South Africa has one title.
However, the 1998 edition was a watershed in the history of the competition for many reasons. It was the first time for a team to play through the group stage to the final and lift the trophy without conceding a single goal, a feat the Super Falcons Class of 1998 achieved despite strong field comprising West African arch-rivals Black Queens of Ghana, Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon and Banyana Banyana of South Africa.
The tournament which Nigeria hosted to win took place in two cities of Kaduna and Abeokuta from October 17 to 31 with seven teams instead of eight as Mozambique, the country of ‘Maputo Express’ train, Maria Matola who was a footballer and top African athlete in the middle distance races, pulling out after qualification.
Interestingly, the host country had presented a strong team which was well prepared following a deliberate efforts of then management of Nigeria Football Association (NFA) led by Chairman, Colonel Abdulmumini Aminu (Rtd) and the most successful NFA Secretary General, Mallam Sani Ahmed Toro who was ready to accept and apply every positive ideas brought to him by football stakeholders during his time in the Association.
This includes the idea of Nigeria hosting the maiden AWC in 1998 mooted by a Member of NFA Women’s Football Development Committee, Harry Chidozie Awurumibe, known to be a strong women’s football advocate who floated the idea of Nigeria hosting a regional or continental women’s football tournament to keep Super Falcons busy ahead of 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup final billed for United States of America (USA).
Luckily, Col. Aminu and Toro who bought the ideas brought to the NFA worked hard to convince then Nigeria’s Minister of Youth and Sports, late Air Commodore Samson Emeka Omeruah (Rtd) whonin turn persuaded the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and late former Head of State General Sani Abacha to approve Nigeria’s request to host CAF competition at a time Nigeria was still under a blanket ban of Super Eagles from participating in the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) after the country boycotted the 1996 edition in South Africa during the military regime.
After getting the greenlight from the federal government, Nigeria’s bid was accepted by CAF led by former helmsman Haji Issah Hayatou of Cameroon who was elated by the Nigeria’s President offer to also donate the AWC Trophy in the name of his wife, First Lady Maryam Abacha.
CAF approval also triggered off alot of activities leading to the formation of AWC Nigeria’98 Local Organising Committee (LOC) with then Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Mallam Babayo Shehu as Co-Chairman with Col. Aminu, NFA boss, just as top Nigerian sports personalities were members including Dr. Amos Adamu who was a Member of CAF Executive Committee.
However, before the hosting idea was sold by the Nigerian to NFA hierarchy, the secretariat had accepted the proposal presented by a Member of NFA Women Football Committee (Awurumibe) to adopt a Sweden Football Association (SFA) model to develop women’s football and prepare the national teams ahead of major tournaments by setting up a Six-man panel called ‘Female Football Project Team’, to drive a Four-Year Programme for Super Falcons to prepare for the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup final after the country did not do well in the previous two editions in 1991 and 1995 in China and Sweden respectively .
Also, the NFA went further to accept the Member’s recommendation to appoint someone from the corporate world, Mr. Iain Nelson of PepsiCo International/National Marketing Manager of Seven-Up Bottling Company Plc to head the ‘Female Football Project Team’ comprising Princess Ola Oi Ajibola as Vice Chairman, Harry Awurumibe of Guardian Newspapers and Rex Adegboji ex-Team Manager of Bendel Insurance FC as Members.
Others are Mrs. Rose Onuoha, Team Chaperon; Mrs. Lizzy Onyenwenwa, NFA Head of Women’s Football and Ismaila Mabo, Head coach of Super Falcons.
In fact, the result of the works of the Female Football Project Team and involvement of the Scottish, Mr. Nelson in the affairs of the NFA was the massive financial and material supports from Pepsi for the NFA, Super Falcons, Nigeria Women Football League and Challenge Cup competitions which the soft drink producing company bankrolled for five years.
As major sponsors of the Super Falcons, the company supported the NFA to camp the team for a long time in Lagos, Ibadan and later Kaduna when Nigeria secured the hosting rights of the 1998 AWC by providing most of the logistics needed including the refurbishment of Super Falcons 25-seater Toyota Coast bus used by the team in camp.
With Super Falcons spending many months in close camping across the country under the watchful eyes of veteran coach late Ismaila Mabo and his assistants late Joseph Ladipo aka Jossy Lad and late Peter Egudia, as recommended by the Nelson led ‘Female Football Project Team’, it was not a surprise to close watchers that Nigeria with huge international experience from the 1991 and 1995 FIFA Women’s World Cup finals, will overwhelm her opponents when ‘Nigeria ’98’ kicked off.
Playing in Group A in Kaduna City, Super Falcons tutored by Mabo tore their opponents into shreds by walloping Morocco 8-0 at Ahmadu Bello Stadium on October 17 in the first match. The team in the second game on 20 October 20 hammered DR Congo 6-0 while Egypt suffered another 6-0 humiliation in the last group match to amass 20 goals without conceeding any to top Group A. READ ALSO:
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Group B in Abeokuta, Ogun state featured only three countries, Ghana, Cameroon and South Africa and both Ghana and Cameroon qualified for the semi final stage.
In the first semi final tie on October 27, Nigeria thrashed Cameroon 6-0 at Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna while in the second semi final game on the day, Ghana hammered DR Congo 4-1 after extra time (a.e.t) at Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna. By qualifying for the final both finalists, Super Falcons and Black Queens, qualified for the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup final in United States of America (USA).
A day before the final between Nigeria and Ghana, DR Congo and Cameroon played out 3-3 draw after extra time (a.e.t) before the Congolese won 3-1 on penalties in the 3rd Place play-off on October 30 at Gateway Stadium, Abeokuta, Ogun state.
…..To be concluded Tuesday
**Harry Awurumibe is Africa’s No.1 Women Football Journalist
