If the purpose for bidding for the FIFA under -20 Women’s World Cup by 2020, was not for the overall development of the Nigeria Female Football, hosting the tournament will definitely be a sheer waste of resources for the country, ex-international Victor Ikpeba has said.
The former Nigeria international in Monday Night Football on Super Sport Live broadcast made this known stating that Nigeria Football Federation NFF need to be sincere and be objective by focusing on revamping the comatose state of the national female league than the glamour of hosting world youth age tournament.
He lamented that women’s football teams in Nigerian have gone years without getting their bonuses, allowances and salaries, if it available at-all…
The former African footballer of the year was also worried about the timing the hosting bid was made known stating that the executive board members of the Nigeria Football Federation had kept it away from the public domain until recently.
He said, “I think am worried about the timing, and please not that there is nothing wrong to bid for any competition, be it world cup or Olympic. Nigeria is a big nation in the world of sport, but the country is riddled with avalanche of infrastructure deficit and that is very terrible.
“I wondered why is it that the Nigeria Football Federation are just coming open with the bid for the female world cup? I understand that countries bid for major fifa tournament in not less than four years to indicate intention as part of their standard.
“If the NFF had done this, but why is it that they are just coming open about it? I heard about it just after the Africa Nations Cup… that simply suggest a lot of things begging for questioning?
“Besides, I was at the national stadium recently and what I saw was just not too befitting for our dear country. And I understand that it is the same dilapidated situation we have also at the Abuja national stadium, now Moshood Kasimawo Abiola stadium.
“And also, we have also heard stories about the Falconets not being paid their bonuses, allowances and salaries for the past three years, if we don’t have the funds to offset all these bills where is the money going to come from to host such a major event?”
“In all I want the motive for this to be to revamped the comatose state of the women’s league, players poor welfare and the poor state of sport facilities across the country.”
Meanwhile, the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amamu Pinnick has said the proposed tournament would allow Nigeria to fast-track the emergence of new football stars in the country.
He said, ‘Events like these show the other side of Nigeria to a lot of foreigners who do not see in their news cycles so it is usually a chance to tell our stories to the world, as opposed to the world telling our stories to us.
‘’Then the most important aspect of these competitions, in my point of view, is the emergence of new football stars. ‘’Tournaments like these are fast-track stages for the new Mercy Akide-Udoh, Desire Oparanozie and Asisat Oshoala to announce themselves to the world.’’
Nigeria has hosted the FIFA U-20 World Cup and its U-17 equivalent in 1999 and 2009 respectively, this present bid represents the third time Nigeria is foraging into the hosting of age-grade competition at the global level.
