Nigeria U17 star Aliima Attervall Alase has expressed her gratitude for being part of the much celebrated Flamingos side which finished third at the recently concluded FIFA Women’s Under 17 Championship in India.

Alase who is celebrating her 16th birthday on Sunday, November 6 spoke with a section of the media on the team’s return from India, expressing words of appreciation for the team’s technical crew and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

“It has always been a dream for me to wear the green and white colours of Nigeria so when an invite was extended to me to come try out in camp, I knew I must not let the opportunity slide,” began the very confident teenager.

“It was a bit of a different terrain for me but you know, when there’s a will, there’s a way so I gave it all I had and I’m grateful that it was enough to be among the privileged ones that made it to India.

“I want to use this medium to thank our coach, Coach Bankole, the entire members of the backroom staff, my teammates, fans and the Football Federation for giving me the chance to represent the country,” said Alase.

The IFK Göteborg of Sweden starlet was one of five players that did not get to feature for Nigeria at the tournament in India but that did not do anything to diminish her fulfilment as a Nigerian youth international.

“Yes I am a little sad that I didn’t get to feature but I understand the fact that the team had momentum and sometimes, coaches do not want to disrupt it. That doesn’t stop my happiness with this golden bronze medal I have which I will cherish for life,” she stressed further.

On what is next after the U17 tournament, Alase says she hopes to mature into the first team of IFK Göteborg in order to garner ample experience and hopefully come back to represent Nigeria at the Under 20 level in two years’ time.

Prolific striker Opeyemi Ajakaiye took her goals’ tally to six in the ongoing FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup African qualifying series when she scored the only goal as Nigeria edged hosts Ethiopia in Addis Ababa on Friday afternoon.

In the final round, first leg duel staged at the Abebe Bekila Stadium, both sides had failed to make hay from a number of opportunities in the first half-hour, but the lithe forward struck in the 36^th minute after she was put through by diminutive midfielder Taiwo Afolabi.

The goal meant Ajakaiye had scored in each of the Flamingos’ five matches of the qualifying series so far, including a brace against the Democratic Republic of Congo in a 5-0 spanking in Benin City.

Omowunmi Bello, who scored three of the goals in Nigeria’s 6-0 aggregate thumping of Egypt in the earlier round, came close to increasing her own tally in the campaign, only to see her 35 –yard shot rock the upright in the 50^th minute.

Kumneger Kebede, Emush Daniel and Bethelem Germa all had chances to equalize for the homers in the second period but met with an unyielding Nigeria rearguard and an inspired goalkeeper Faith Omilana who had an excellent game.

Both teams will clash again at the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja on Saturday, 4^th June with the winner on aggregate qualifying as one of Africa’s three representatives at this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals in India.

Aisha Falode, the Chairperson of the oldest women’s league in Africa, spoke about the reform that the league has been undergoing since she took over in 2017 as well as the challenges the league board has faced and are still facing in their bid to continue raising the bar on quality and professionalism.

The ace Sports Journalist and Football Administrator who has been a great inspiration to alot young Ladies shed more light on the progress of the NWFL under her leadership.

“We are a role model to other African countries,” she noted. “The football associations of other countries write to us to give them our template.”
 
The Aisha Falode-led board has created a structure that offers more competitions and priorities the welfare of players and referees.

“You cannot sell yourself short,” Falode stated.
 
It may have taken five years for the first sponsorship deal to eventually arrive, but Falode is proud of the work they have put in to transform the women’s league in Nigeria, in spite of having “next to zero support”.

The Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) recently signed a multi-million naira partnership deal ahead of the NWFL Premiership Super Six scheduled to take place in Benin from 16-22 May 2022.

 
Falode, who also pointed out that “we must begin to blow our own trumpet” used some of her time on stage to call on more companies to invest in women’s football in Nigeria with the emphasis that “football today is big business”.

An elated Barr. Edeh showed appreciation to the NFF for the opportunity they gave the young girls to represent the country and he also thanked the coaches and staff for their commitment

“My appreciation goes to the NFF, for giving young people like you the opportunity to be able to represent us and represent us well. I also want to thank the staff who daily feed you with talents, improving on your competence to make sure you do not only represent Nigeria but also represent yourselves

I will always maintain that anytime you go for a tournament or a competition, right in front of you is the name of your country, Nigeria Football Federation, you carry that banner representing Nigeria. But one unique thing is behind you is your personal number and the name of your parents, that is your family name. Meaning you are both representing your nation and also representing your family and no person here would want the name of their family to be soiled nor the name of their country to be brought to disrepute and that is why, indeed you have done very well.

You will recall that the last time before your game against Egypt, I had made a commitment, I said that any goal you score, 100,000 naira. I was bragging because I knew the Egyptian team was a very tough one. You scored four goals. The commitment I made was just for that match. However, when the second match came and I spoke with some of your coaching crew and they [told me that the match will be tough]. I promised another hundred thousand for any goal. I was prepared to pay honour my word.

What I’m doing today is not because I have so much, but because I feel young girls like you should be able to be rewarded and encouraged to do more. We are in a society where attention is given more to the boys’ game compared to the women. But all through this period the girls have not disappointed us. Super Falcons have qualified, Falconets have qualified and now, Flamingoes will qualify.

On behalf of my foundation, Ratels Sports Development Foundation, that is inclined to support grassroots sports, my attention is focused basically on young people like you. Those who have made it and arrived, thank God for their lives but those of you who want to take over from them we will keep supporting you. It is not because we have so much, but just to encourage you. I want to assure that before the next match, I am still going to talk with officials at the NFF and see the commitment we can make to further boost your effort to ensure that you win the next match.

Barr. Paul Edeh gave the team 600,000 naira and promised to give the coaching crew $1000 if they qualify the team to the World Cup. He further renewed his promise of one goal for hundred thousand naira. He further encouraged the girls to learn from the coaches’ wealth of experience”.

Responding on behalf of the players, team captain, Alvine Da Zossu thanked Barr. Edeh for his love for them as a father and his moral and financial support

“On behalf of the players, we like to say a very big thank you to you. Thank you, for not only fulfilling your promise but coming all the way here to talk to us like your children. We like to say a very big thank you, and also I will like to use this medium to thank our officials and our coaches because without them, this won’t have been possible, we wouldn’t have scored more goals, we wouldn’t have made Nigerians proud. We want to say thank you to our coaches and officials for impacting all they’ve been doing for us and making to become better players and we pray that in our next match, we are going to do more. Thank you very much sir”

The Flamingoes are in camp in preparation for their final game against Ethiopia in a bid to qualify for the World Cup in India. They will play away against Ethiopia on May 20 before the final leg in Nigeria

Head Coach Bankole Olowookere has selected 23 Flamingos for Saturday’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup third round, second clash between Nigeria and Egypt at the Petrosports Stadium, Cairo.

Team captain Alvine Dah-Zossu, goalkeeper Faith Omilana, defenders Comfort Folorunsho, Miracle Usani and Blessing Sunday, midfielders Taiwo Afolabi and Blessing Emmanuel, and forwards Opeyemi Ajakaiye, Anastasia Atume and Omowunmi Bello have made the cut alongside 13 others.

Bello scored two of the goals that condemned the Egyptian girls to a 4-0 defeat in Abuja last week Sunday, after team’s top scorer Opeyemi Ajakaiye opened the account at the MKO Abiola National Stadium. Defender Miracle Usani netted the other goal.

The Flamingos contingent will depart Nigeria on Thursday, with the encounter set for the Petrosports Stadium as from 10pm on Saturday, 30^th April. The winner on aggregate will qualify for the final round of the African series, where it will await the winner of the Ethiopia/South Africa fixture. The Ethiopian girls trounced their South African counterparts 3-0 away in Johannesburg in the first leg.

This year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup will hold in India, 11^th – 30^th October.

FLAMINGOS FOR EGYPT:

Goalkeepers: Faith Omilana; Linda Jiwuaku

Defenders: Blessing Sunday; Comfort Folorunsho; Tumininu Adeshina; Olamide Oyinlola; Josephine Edafe; Miracle Usani; Confidence Nwoha; Mistura Yusuf.

Midfielders: Blessing Emmanuel; Taiwo Afolabi; Chidera Okenwa; Joy Igbokwe

Forwards: Omowunmi Bello; Mercy Itimi; Alvine Dah-Zossu; Anastasia Atume; Opeyemi Ajakaiye; Yetunde Ayantosho; Judith Okah; Bisola Mosaku; Raheemot Adebayo 

The Super Falcons should provide a model for the Super Eagles and the NFF can work to make that model stronger

In the past 18 years, the Falconets and Flamingos have been the bedrock of the Super Falcons. They feed the senior team after each tournament and the coaches of the Falcons have helped with seamless progression of the girls

Since the U20 and U17 women’s world cup started, the youth teams have produced amazing talents for the Falcons and their progression has been smooth and have helped the Falcons to maintain dominance in Africa and rise to prominence in the world.

Let me start from 2010

In 2010, the Falconets got to the final of the world cup. In that team, we had Alaba Jonathan, Osinachi Ohale, Cecelia Nku, Glory Iroka, Desire Oparanozie, Helen Ukaonu, Amarachi Okoronkwo, Esther Sunday, Charity Adule, Ngozi Ebere, Ebere Orji, Josephine Chukwunonye and others. These girls moved to the Falcons and won the AWCON that same year and some played at the Senior World Cup in 2011. Oparanozie joined the Falcons after returning from the U20 world cup and scored 5 goals at AWCON

The Flamingoes played at the 2010 U17 World Cup and from there, Ngozi Okobi and Francisca Ordega joined the Falcons as 17 year olds and won the AWCON same year and Ordega even scored at AWCON as a 17 year old girl

Since then, the Falconets and Flamingoes have produced: Asisat Oshoala, Osarenoma Igbinovia, Uchenna Kanu, Joy Bokiri, Glory Ogbonna, Uchenna Kanu, Uchechi Sunday, Halimatu Ayinde, Ugo Njoku, Chiamaka Nnodozie, Monday Gift, Chinwendu Ihezuo, Rasheedat Ajibade, Vivian Ikechukwu, Chinaza Uchendu Chidinma Okeke, Peace Efih, Sarah Nnodim, etc

At the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France, Chidinma Okeke provided a sublime assist to Asisat Oshoala. In 2018, she played at the junior world cup with Nnadozie and a year later, Okeke provided that assist for a goal that guaranteed Nigeria’s place in the round of 16 for the first time in 20 years while Asisat Oshoala, another product of the Falconets scored. In goal, Chiamaka Nnadozie made history as the youngest goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet at the World Cup. A year earlier in 2018, she was a Falconets player.

Time will probably not be enough to enumerate what the girls from the youth teams have done for the Falcons

These girls had played for the Falcons and won laurels with the team even before most of them turned 20 or 22

This model has sustained the Falcons for almost two decades and kept them relevant. This model can be replicated at the Eagles and the narratives could change

The NFF should also ensure that this model is not interrupted by the influx of Nigerian players born abroad into the national teams. This model has strengthened the league and the women’s team.

This is why attention must be given the Falconets and Flamingoes and thankfully, the NFF have shown their support and the Falconets have already qualified for another World Cup

The Flying Eagles and Golden Eaglets deserve this attention too, along with the U15 male team, the Future Eagles. This model can work to get our teams flying again.

Bethel Kalu writes from Aba, Abia State

The Osun Babes striker was in sensational form for the Flamingoes, scoring three goals as the Nigeria U17 side thrashed their Guinean counterpart 6-1 at the September 28 stadium with the return leg taking place at the Agege stadium on March 14.

The Sexy striker as she is fondly called found the back of the net in the 11th, 85th and 95th of the contest and her manager from the grassroot, Coach Bello-Lasora. A Ola wants to congratulate her for her performance in ensuring the team secure victory in Conakry.

Coach Lasoro disclosed Yemisi was identified in Alagbado area in Lagos state before he moved her to Ilorin where the academy is located, while she was called “Sexy Striker” because of her style of playing during her young age.

He described Yemisi has a tactical striker who has the ability to lead the team to success in India as she has gone through developmental training from Italian tactician whom the academy brought to development the players of the academy during her time there.

“We want to congratulate our Sexy striker (Yemisi) for her hat-trick when Nigeria played against Guinea because this has always been her dream since her days in the academy.”

“I scouted Yemisi in Alagbado in Lagos state and brought her to Ilorin to develop her skills. She has the dream to be a professional footballer and I assisted her develop her understanding of the game to achieve her potential.”

“We call her Sexy striker due to her playing style when she first got to the academy, Yemisi would always play with her hand beside her while running and she loves it because it helps her to adapt quickly.”