Sports

‘Coming at the Right Time’ – NFF Endorses Girls Play Sports Football Tournament

Published

3 months ago

July 22, 2024

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has expressed its full support for the Girls Play Sports Football Tournament, an initiative birthed by the Honorable Ayo Omidiran and organized under the auspices of the Ayomidiran Foundation.

During a courtesy call by the Tournament’s Organizing Committee to the NFF Headquarters in Abuja on Monday, Secretary General Dr. Sanusi Mohammed, representing NFF President Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau, stressed the significance of the tournament.

Dr. Sanusi stated, “The NFF, under the leadership of Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau, is committed to making it mandatory for all Premiership clubs to establish women’s football teams. This initiative comes at the right time for the advancement of women’s football in Nigeria and aligns with its FIFA-funded Talent Development Scheme.”

While hailing Honorable Omidiran on the initiative, the NFF scribe emphasized the importance of perseverance despite criticism, noting, “You’ll face opposition when you start promoting women’s football, but you have to remain focused. Critics may have the loudest voices, but the silent supporters are many. Your next step is to work closely with the NFF Technical Department to ensure the success of this program.”

Honorable Omidiran, CEO and Founder of the Ayomidiran Foundation, expressed her gratitude to the NFF for their support, admitting that, “Organizing a competition like this would not be complete without the official recognition and backing of the NFF. The Ayomidiran Foundation has always been dedicated to the development of women, particularly through sports. Football has opened many doors for young girls, and it is essential to provide them with opportunities to excel.”

She continued, “We aim to identify and nurture talent at the grassroots level. With technical teams at every center, we can spot potential and guide these girls towards professional careers. Our project, GIRLS PLAY SPORTS, starts with football, but we plan to expand into other sports like athletics. Our ultimate goal is to enable girls to pursue sports as a means of livelihood, contributing to the pool of professional players.”

The two-time House of Representatives member also emphasized the social and economic impacts of the event, saying, “This tournament is not just about sports; it aims to take girls off the streets and away from social vices, including violence.

“Many of our girls playing football internationally are now the breadwinners for their families. We want to encourage more girls to see sports as a viable career path. By the end of this tournament, we hope to have opened new opportunities for many young girls.”

The Girls Play Sports Football Tournament promises to be a significant step towards the development of women’s football in Nigeria, with the strong backing of the NFF and the passion of the organizers.

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Sports

Gusau Praises President Tinubu, ValueJet crew for diligence and endurance

Published

3 days ago

October 15, 2024

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The President of Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau on Tuesday expressed the deep appreciation of the NFF and the Nigeria Football family for the warm words of encouragement from the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR following the Super Eagles’ return from a better-forgotten Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match adventure in Libya.

On Monday, Mr. President put out a statement warmly welcoming the team back to home, and asking for prompt justice from the Confederation of African Football following the inhumane treatment of the Nigerian contingent. Mr. President also commended the proactive coordination between the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Federal Ministry of Sports Development in addressing the unfortunate episode and ensuring the safe return of the players.

“We hereby express our deep and sincerest appreciation to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his warm and kind words of encouragement. These words have gone a long way to reassure the players of the firm support of the Government and people of Nigeria for what they do and the efforts and sacrifice they make in representing this great country.

“The commitment and love for the team by the Government and the entire nation was aptly demonstrated by the physical presence of the Honourable Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh at the airport to welcome the team back to Nigeria.

“Mr. President as the father of the nation, has once again demonstrated his concern and keen interest in the beautiful game of football that unites our peoples from all walks of life and across all known mental, physical, spiritual, political and economic boundaries, and which fosters national unity and friendship among peoples and nations of the universe.”

Gusau, who led the delegation to Libya, also commended the captain and crew of the ValueJet aircraft that flew the delegation to and from that country, saying that their patience, diligence, good manners, warmth and endurance made the trip less arduous for the contingent.

“The captain (Mr. Abdul-Latif) and crew were awesome. I must commend, in particular, the captain. He did his job professionally and with a touch of excellence, and even intervened at a point to talk to the airport operatives to allow the NFF leadership to go outside the airport to find a way to hire vehicles for the team. As a fellow North African (Tunisian) who had worked in Libya previously, they were ready to offer him hotel accommodation but not any other member of the crew or any Nigerian, as all the hotels in the city disclosed that they had strict orders not to welcome any Nigerian nationality. He refused their offer and rather opted to sleep in the aircraft with the rest of the crew.

“The captain and crew showed great maturity and kindness. We will never forget them.”

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