ABUJA (Ministry of Youths and Sports) – The Minister of Federal Ministry of Youth & Sports Development (FMYSD), Barr. Solomon Dalung has lauded the great strides of the Super Falcons in FIFA Women Football game for featuring in every edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Championship since the competition was launched in 1991 as their major competitors were the United States of America, Germany, Norway, Japan, Brazil and Sweden.
The Minister who was represented by the Director, Planning and Monitoring Information Department of the Ministry, Hauwa Kulu-Akinyemi stated this at the reception of the France 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy tour in Nigeria. He disclosed that the Super Falcons who will be representing Africa in France for the FIFA Women’s World Cup tournaments this summer ( 7 June to 7 July) are the super team in the African Championship, having won NINE of ELEVEN editions of the Women Africa Cup of Nations since the competition started in 1998.
Aside these impressive performances of Nigeria’s Women National Team, Barr Dalung recalled the several laurels and achievements recorded by both National Women’s teams – the under 20 girls (Falconets) and under 17 girls (Flamingos) at the FIFA organised tournaments in the past editions. These feats were facilitated by the present administration’s dogged commitment for providing the conducive environment for football to thrive and also support and encourage the various national teams to excel at international level.
In her address on this occasion of the FIFA women world cup trophy tour to Nigeria as part of the global tour of the 24 countries that will participate in the 8th Summer FIFA Women World Cup finals in France, FIFA team leader, Ms. Sarai Bareman who is also the FIFA spokesperson for women’s football, commended the consistent performances of the Super Falcons for qualifying for FIFA organised tournaments, stressing that the Nigeria’s women team, the Super Falcons has become a beacon of hope and shining examples to the Nigerian young girls. The team, she noted has therefore assumed a symbolic platform and hope to the country’s teeming girls to realize their dreams of playing for their country.
Also speaking at the reception, Barr. Seyi Akinwunmi (1st Vice President of the Nigeria Football Federation), who represented the President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick stated that Nigeria is very appreciative of the efforts of FIFA at promoting women football in all ramifications at every age brackets. He also revealed that this trophy tour to Nigeria will have impressionable impact on Nigerian parents to regard the importance of female football, besides the inspiration to Nigerian girls to realize their dreams. Barr. Akinwunmi expressed positive optimism that the trophy tour by FIFA team to qualifying countries including Nigeria, is a precursor to bringing the world cup back to Nigeria by the Super Falcon.
The reception ceremony was attended by the management staff of the Federal Ministry of Youth & Sports Development at the conference room of the Minister the National Stadium, Abuja; additionally, a wider platform of the occasion held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja thereafter, organised by the Nigeria Football Federation with FIFA officials. The trophy was displayed to give sports journalists, secondary school students and the general public the rare opportunity of sighting and appreciating the beauty of the World Cup Trophy.
