The Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung praised the women’s football pioneers, when he received a FIFA delegation on the Women’s World Cup trophy tour in his office yesterday in Abuja.
He welcomed the FIFA team, comprising Sarai Bareman, Nichole Fisch, Venessa Marques and FIFA Legend, Osaze Peter Odemwingie to the Nigeria leg of the Women’s World Cup Trophy Tour and remarked that no country on the African continent can appreciate the significance of the FIFA Women’s World Cup more than Nigeria.
“Nigeria is the only country in Africa to have participated in every edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup since it was launched in China in 1991. Nigeria is in a special class of only seven countries globally to have achieved that. Our Super Falcons are also the only team to win nine out of eleven African Women’s Championships since it started in 1988”.
Dalung, who was represented by the Acting Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Hauwa Kulu Akinyemi also paid tributes to Princess Bola Jegede, late Mrs. Simbiat Abiola, Elder Eddington Kujenbola, Alhaja Ayo Omidiran, Larry Eze and Prince Oladimeji amongst many others, for their role in spurring the development of the women’s game in the country.