Ukaigwe tasks FA over women coaches

The female football interest group (FFIG) president Henrietta Ukaigwe has commended Super Falcons for winning the African Women’s Championship (AWC) title in record six times.

Super Falcons handled by Eucharia Uche, first ever women to handle a national team, overcame title holder Equatorial Guinea 4-2 in the final of the 7th AWC in South Africa thereby reclaimed the title they lost to the Central African state in 2008.

Both teams however qualified to represent Africa at the 2011 Fifa Women’s World Cup in Germany.

An elated Ukaigwe who spoke to SuperSport.com in Lagos on Tuesday said the victory of the Falcons under coach Uche Eucharia, an ex-international and lethal finisher in her active days, has proved the case that women have arrived in the round leather game and deserved more look in.

“I must congratulate Uche Eucharia for doing what most men could not do and equally proving her skeptics wrong who never believed in her competence and who challenged her in the inclusion of some veterans like Perpetua Nkwocha, Stellla Mbachu, among others in the AWC squad.

Guess what the two players emerged the highest goal scorer and most valuable player respectively of the championship. Her changes in the course of the game unsettled her opponents and Falcons did not drop a point till they won the trophy.

“This is enough proof that women coaches have arrived, there are many ex-internationals who are coaches, trained and certified, I think these coaches should be considered for appointment to handle other women national teams.”

The seasoned journalist who is upbeat that Falcons will be the team to beat in Germany however asked the government not to hide under the euphoria of the AWC victory to believe that all is well with the team, she insisted that the team needs adequate preparations before the global football fiesta.

“People should not be carried away by Falcons success, we knew that they did not have good preparations for AWC, thank God they won.

“World Cup is another cup of tea; they must be given all the tools they need to succeed in Germany.

Friendly matches and training tours must be arranged immediately not the ones that will end up on pages of papers. I am sure if we do our part very well the team will excel in Germany,” she said.