Sports
Female Coaches Seek Support For All Stars Competitions
The Amalgamation of Nigeria Female Football Coaches Association (ANFCCA), organisers of the annual All Stars Football Championship for girls, has assured that the 12th edition of the competition would be as exciting as ever.
ANFCCA’s President, Rolandson Odeh, told newsmen yesterday in Lagos that lack of encouragement from the authorities would not deter it from identifying with the event.
The championsship, which usually features players from different parts of the country, is scheduled to hold from January 13 to.21 at the National Stadium, Lagos.
Odeh stated that preparations for the competition would begin tomorrow and end on January 12. It would ensure that players were properly conditioned for the competition.
“We will train the girls from Jan. 5 to Jan. 12, before the competition starts from Jan 13 to 21, and they will be grouped into different teams,” he said.
Odeh bemoaned the lack of sponsorship the championship had had to endure since its inception, and urged the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) and potential sponsors to support the body’s programmes.
The championship was formed by the Female Football Interest Group and Amalgamation of Female Football clubs coaches in 2001 to help promote female football.
Meanwhile the Vice President of ANFCCA, Oluwole Santana has urged the NFA to be consistent in nurturing football at the grassroots; to ensure the sustenance of female football.
Santana noted that the championship ought to have been accorded a pride of place because of its indelible role in scouting for talented girls for clubs and national teams.
“I am seriously baffled that after 12 years of its establishment, the competition still lacked sponsorship.
“We have been calling on sponsors to help us with this championship because without them, we cannot cater for these girls,’’ he said
Iwobi spoke to Tidesports source ahead of Nigeria’s crunch playoff semi-final against Gabon on Thursday, November 13, in Rabat, Morocco.
The 28-year-old was reacting to Nigeria’s shaky World Cup qualifying campaign that saw the Eagles finish second in Group C behind South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
“We’ve managed to rescue ourselves from the dead,” Iwobi told Tidesports source.
We know we have the players and the abilities to compete against any other country in the world.”
The Fulham star pointed to Nigeria’s star power, highlighting African Footballer of the Year winners Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen as proof of the squad’s quality.
“We have last year’s African best player (Ademola Lookman), the year before that (Victor Osimhen),” he said.
“It’ll be a shame if we don’t make it, but we have a lot of confidence. We just have to prove it to ourselves.”
Nigeria’s path to the United States, Canada and Mexico has been turbulent, with two coaches departing during the early stages of qualifying before Éric Chelle steadied the ship to steer the Super Eagles into November’s CAF playoffs.
Four nations from the continent – Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo and Gabon – will vie for a solitary spot to compete in next March’s inter-confederation playoffs, with a view to joining the already nine qualified African nations at the Finals.
It would mark Iwobi’s second appearance at the World Cup Finals and the Super Eagles’ first since the 2018 edition of the competition.
Back then, Iwobi featured in all three games as Nigeria was knocked out in the group stage.
The Chief Executive Officer(CEO) and Publisher of the Atlantic Bell Online medium, Mr. Celestine Ogolo has advised sports writers in Nigeria to diversify in sports writing and not to concentrate on football reporting alone.
The Deputy National President of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Mr. Bonny Nyong has expressed commitment to support sports development and move SWAN forward.
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