By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
Foremost women’s football promoters and club owners Princess Hannah Zinab Ngozi Bola Jegede and Elder Eddington Bola Kuejubola have decried the lacklustre performance of Nigeria’s senior women’s football team in the ongoing Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco.
Princess Jegede, a two-time Executive Board Member of Nigeria Football Association (NFA), later Federation and also the proprietor/financier of the defunct Jegede Babes women’s football club of Lagos and Elder Kuejubola, the sponsor/proprietor of defunct of Ufuoma Babes FC of Warri, said they are still hurting for the two defeats Nigeria have already suffered in Morocco against debutants Malawi and Cameroon.
Speaking to Prompt News in separate interviews, Princess Jegede who is single-handedly sponsored the 1st National Women’s Football Tournament in Lagos in 1990 which featured over 40 clubs stated that Super Falcons’ display in the tournament in Morocco did not meet the standard expected of the 10-time African champions.
According to her, Super Falcons looked out of sort in the ongoing tournament, describing the results so far as very disappointing especially the two losses to Malawi and Cameroon.
Said she: “To say that I am very dissatisfied with the performance of Super Falcons in the ongoing WAFCON in Morocco is an understatement. To be honest, this present squad representing us (Nigeria) in Morocco is not good enough.
“If I say that Nigeria has regressed significantly in women’s football, I may not be wrong if you compare it to the massive improvement of teams like debutants Malawi, Ivory Coast, Mali, Tanzania and not to talk of Morocco, Algeria, Zambia, and few others”.
Princess Jegede who was Nigeria’s Leader of Delegation to the 2nd FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in Sweden in 1995 argued that the strong structure football administrators and promoters left behind has been allowed to collapse.
She called for the total restructuring of women’s football in Nigeria especially the women’s football league and present Super Falcons squad be reorganised immediately.
For Elder Kuejubola, Super Falcons have lost their fear factor in Africa and have regressed significantly in technical aspects of the game, pointing out that Nigerians now need calculators to check out how the once fearsome team is struggling against low-rated teams in Africa will qualify from the group stage in Morocco.
Said he “How is the mighty fallen”. It is sad that we now need calculators to check how Super Falcons could qualify from a Group C of WAFCON ,2026. A Group comprising Malawi, Egypt and Zambia.
The former National Vice Chairman of Nigeria Female Football Proprietors Association (NIFFPA) who predicted the defeat of Nigeria by Cameroon last Sunday based on their uninspiring performance in Morocco said the Super Falcons need immediate reorganisation if Nigeria will continue to be regarded as a powerhouse again.
He however blamed the deterioration of women’s football in general and Super Falcons to the neglect of the pioneers by the past and present football administrators, saying they have refused to reorganise the great jobs the pioneers who cut across club owners, coaches, players, journalists and others are relegated to the background in the present dispensation.
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