The Sorry State Of The Super Falcons

Last Friday, Champions of Africa, the Super Falcons were given a football lesson as they were whitewashed by the France women national team 8-0. 

The result, to say the least, was humiliating for a country of Nigeria's stature. We are not talking of a team who are minnows in female football in Africa but Africa's supposedly strongest side. A team that has won a record 7 Africa Women Championship titles. 

It is interesting to note that this team is playing her first competitive game since winning the Africa Women's Cup of Nations hosted by Cameroun in 2016. This is a sad indicator why the team played so poorly against France.

I am sure this is not the case with the French but the fact that for a whole year, the Super Falcons did not play even a single friendly match even if it's against inferior opposition to keep the ladies in sync with each other is a serious indictment on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). 

NFF chairman, Amaju Pinnick, was full of apology for the humbling result on Twitter citing 'unintentional neglect' being the main reason for the embarrassment.

This result equals Nigeria's 2 worst defeats in female football history for the Falcons. In those games, Nigeria lost to Norway and the USA by the same score line.

The continued lack of interest in developing and promoting female football in the country and consolidating on the achievements of our female national teams in the past is the reason why teams like Cameroun, South Africa, Ghana and Equitorial Guinea have caught up with the Super Falcons and probably even surpassed them.

There was a time, Nigeria could roll out two different Falcons teams to play in different competitions almost simultaneously. A case in point was when Nigeria hosted the All Africa games and had to send a team to the women's World Cup as well. We comfortably fielded a Team B that defeated South Africa in the All Africa games final thus winning the gold medal while the Team A who were the main squad went ahead to play in the World Cup.

Gone are the days. It would be nothing short of the miraculous if Nigeria can produce 2 senior teams that would match the quality of players we had then. There is no production line to churn out players  for the national team anymore because the female league is in a shambles. 

There is hardly any coverage in the media of female football and of course there are very few women clubs and teams available these days. This is probably due to the harsh economic climate in the country which makes it extremely difficult if not impossible for philanthropists to run female clubs. State governments who run many of the teams in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) are probably not willing to add to the wage bill by owning female teams as well.

Things though have to change if we want genuine success for our female national team. 

When the Super Falcons started making an impact at the world stage it was because we took steps that yielded results. We had a vibrant female league  that had our best players such as Mercy Akide, Florence Omagbemi, Ann Agumanu Chiejine, Patience Avre and others playing in our league in teams like Jegede Babes, Pelican Stars and Rivers Angels.

Our modest success in the World Cup  hosted by the USA in 1999 opened the eyes of clubs all around the world to the quality of players Nigeria could produce and so they started signing these players.

What could have been an opportunity for Nigeria to develop our women's league and produce more talented players proved the beginning of the end as gradually we have stopped producing these top class players who will give France, Brazil, Spain, Germany or the USA a run for the money.

The NFF has done well in organising the friendly with France. There should be more of this sort in future as we prepare for the African Women's Cup of Nations. The NFF earlier in the year hired a Swede, Thomas Dennerby to take charge of the team. The team's battering by France was his baptism of fire. He must begin to realise the work on his hands now.

The women's league has to be made vibrant again. The league doesn't have to be a long season or have many teams. An 8-12 team league won't be bad for starters.

The NFF also needs to find a way to rekindle interest in female football in the country even though it is struggling to do so for their male counterparts. There has to be a sponsor for the league with broadcast rights sold to interested media houses who will show the games on TV.

Clubs and organisations who have an interest in registering female teams should also be encouraged to do so even if it is at an amateur level. The money the NFF can get from the sponsors of the league or any competition can help many a team stay afloat and grow when they receive substantial sums for their participation every year.

The current NFF regime has shown a level of leadership, vision and professionalism never seen before. If they can extend these traits to women's football in Nigeria then posterity will judge them favourably.

Football Still Remains A Uniting Sport

England and France yesterday went ahead with their international friendly match at Wembley after the deadly Paris terrorists attacks that claimed the lives of 129 people and injured hundreds more last Friday in a show of defiance, unity and respect between both nations.

The game ended 2-0 in favour of England with goals from Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur and Wayne Rooney of Manchester United. But it was a game where the score line or the performance was secondary.

It was a show of support by the English for their French rivals who were suffering at this time from the devastation of the attacks. 

England fans joined the French supporters in singing the national anthem. Flowers were laid by Prince William, French Manager Didier Deschamps, and Roy Hodgson.

The stadium was filled to capacity with 70,000 fans turning up to show support for the French. The game was attended by prime minister David Cameron, the Duke of Cambridge, the London Mayor and other dignitaries.

There was of course, the outpouring of emotion by some fans who could not hold back the tears and even the players' resolve would have been tested to the limits by the occasion. A moment's silence was held before kick off with the players and match officials having joint photographs taken in a show of solidarity with the French.

The game in which the French FA turned down a request by the English to be called off turned out to be a spectacle not on the field of play but in the display of unity, love, respect and in its message to the world and the terrorists particularly- Terrorism will not win. Good will always triumph over evil.

Former Chelsea and Arsenal midfielder Lassana Diarra, lost his cousin in the attacks and was given a standing ovation when he came on for Yohan Cabaye. Athletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann was also applauded after his sister narrowly escaped being murdered by the extremists at the Bataclan concert were most of the massacre occurred.

In Germany, the friendly between Germany and the Netherlands was called off an hour before kick off due to bomb threats to the Hannover stadium where the game was supposed to be played. Police searched through the stadium for explosives but none has been found yet. 

The friendly between Belgium and Spain was also called off due to security concerns since some of the suspects were Belgian nationals. 

So far, investigations and raids are ongoing in France, Belgium and Germany with different levels of success. However, it is important to note that what has happened in France occurs on a regular basis in the Middle East, Asia and in Africa. And there has been debates concerning the degree of coverage by the media of the Paris attacks when compared to the attacks in other third world countries which may not get near as much coverage as the one in France.

This post is not meant for taking sides or adding to the debate that is currently raging especially on social media over the  media's failure to report extensively or show sympathy or empathy to other atrocities else where. 

I will however say this, the media should learn to as much as possible, give due and balanced reporting to atrocities done all over the world. As I write, there are reports of a terrorist activity here in Yola, Nigeria were a bomb went off and killed over 30 people at a Tipper Garage. It is not getting any serious coverage as it should on world media.

All in all, football has shown once again that it can unite people of different race, creed, belief and religion no matter the circumstance. It also has the power to send a strong message to those opposed to peace and liberty. The game between France and England last night is a testament to that fact.