With just a few days to the kickoff of the 9th FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in Australia and New Zealand, the Nigeria senior women’s national team, Super Falcons, has been charged to make Nigerians proud by dominating the global women soccer showpiece.
The conveyor of ABL Unity Championship 2023, Adedayomi Benjamins-Laniyi, gave the charge, urging the team to spread their wings and approach every game without fear, saying they would will enjoy both political and global support at the FIFA World Cup as promised by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
Briefing newsmen in Abuja on the ABL -Unity Championship 2023, Adedayomi, urged Nigerian women in politics to learn from the Super Falcons who are attempting to go against all odds to emerge winner at the 2023 FIFA World Cup.
“We understand Her Excellency, the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu hosted the Super Falcons because the power of unity in sports is second to none. Therefore, it came to me very clearly that in a time and season when there’s so much going on, one thing must be accomplished.
“And it is a privilege to be the initiator in the Centre of Unity, Federal capital city, Abuja to host, convene and engage in a football tournament for the spirit of unity. When you walk in unity, everyone becomes a champion.
“The most critical ingredient of any game is the power to drive with your team the courage of that goal. Once you can do that, you don’t see color, you don’t see age, you don’t see religion, you don’t see your church denomination. No, all you see is the goal. Can I score the winning goal?
““The winning goal for Nigeria is a message, unity, that we may be one. Unity through sportsmanship. And you know, the power of sportsmanship is what you find played out in political advocacy. You go against all the odds to emerge a winner, just like we have seen with His Excellency, our President, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
“I also would like to say, for me, it’s a message to women in politics. You ask me how and why. I’ve looked at it, and I say many times when it comes to positioning women in the political space, it’s almost become an argument or a presentation and profiling of entitlement.
“I’ve experienced it and it is not an entitlement. Women in politics need to go into it like the female footballers, Super Falcons, go into football, with their skill set. So, women in politics, we must ask ourselves, what is our skill set and what is my positioning in the field of politics.”
Meanwhile, the LOC chairman of the ABL -Unity Championship 2023, M. Mohammed says the championship will be used to scout for talents that will be nurtured and exported to clubs in Europe. Participating teams for the championship which kicks off on July 8, 2023 will be drawn from the six Area Councils in the FCT. Former Super Eagles players Kanu Nwankwo and Femi Ajilore are the ambassadors for the ABL -Unity Championship 2023.