Sports Revelation Online ..breaking authenic sports reports
By Harry Awurumibe
A five-man inspection team from the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) will arrive in Nigeria tomorrow via Lagos for a four-day inspection of facilities and equipment that Nigeria has put forward to host the 10th FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup championship next year.
Expectedly, the arrival of the FIFA Inspectors has attracted commendation of women’s football stakeholders to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for its foresight to initiate the bid for the hosting of the global soccer tournament.
Christopher Exley, Sara Jane Booth, Kliment Taseski, Rhiannon Ceirwen Martin and Heyral Kaj Jurgen will arrive at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport tomorrow (Monday) evening, to be received by President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick, NFF 1st Vice President, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi, NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, NFF Executive Committee member and Chairman of the Nigeria Women Football League Aisha Falode and top officials of the Lagos State Sports Commission led by the Executive Chairman, Dr. Kweku Tandoh.
Nigeria has put forward the cities of Lagos, Benin City, Asaba and Uyo for the hosting of the 16 –nation finals.
The inspection team will begin its work in Lagos on Tuesday, with visits to the Onikan Stadium (match venue), St. Nicholas Hospital and Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (referral hospitals), Teslim Balogun Stadium, National Stadium Legacy Pitch, Eagle Club, Campos Square and the University of Lagos Sports Centre (training sites), before a courtesy call on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the Government House in Alausa.
Joined by NFF President Pinnick, General Secretary Sanusi, Alh. Mainasara Illo (Coordinator of the Bid), Falode, Commissioner of Police Garba Baba (security) and Dr. Paul Onyeudo (medical), the team will fly to Benin City same day to inspect facilities at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium (match venue), Western Boys College and University of Benin Sports Centre (training sites) and the Edo Specialist Hospital and University of Benin Teaching Hospital (referral hospitals).
The contingent will check out the facilities in Asaba and Uyo on Wednesday. In Asaba, the Stephen Keshi Stadium is the proposed match venue, while training sites are Asaba Squash Courts and St. Patrick’s College. The referral hospitals are St. Luke’s Hospital and Asaba General Hospital.
In Uyo, the focus will be on the Godswill Akpabio Stadium (match venue), Ikot Ekpene Stadium and Godswill Akpabio Training Pitch (training sites) and Ibom Specialist Hospital and University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (referral hospitals).
The inspection party will then fly to Abuja on Thursday for a meeting with the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports, Mr. Olusade Adesola (representing the Honourable Minister) and a courtesy call on His Excellency, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (GCON) at the Presidential Villa.
Nigeria is one of only four countries to have participated in every edition of the FIFA U20 Women’s Cup since the competition was launched in 2002 in Canada as an U19 Championship. It was upgraded to U20 competition in 2008. USA, Germany and Brazil are the other three ever –present teams.
The Falconets reached the Final of the competition in 2010 and 2014, losing to Germany on both occasions, and were semi finalists in Japan in 2012.
Meanwhile, former Team Manger of the defunct Princess Jegede Babes of Lagos, John Obijiaku has lauded the NFF leadership for putting forward a bid on behalf of Nigeria to host the competition, adding that Nigeria is capable of host a the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after the country had hosted the world and the continent on many occasions.
“ I don’t have any iota of doubt Nigeria has all that it takes to host the tournament even at a short notice hence I believe that the visiting FIFA Inspection Team will be delighted by the things that they will meet on ground at the proposed venues”, Obijiaku argued.
Also, Coach Akeem Salami, ex-Assistant Coach of Pelican Stars of Calabar stated that Nigeria can successfully host the FIFA flagship Women’s World Cup not to talk of the junior women’s football competition.
Said he, “ Nigeria is football loving nation and there are many stadia across the country to host any major football event even at short notice. The NFF is on the track to get FIFA to bring another major competition to Nigeria at this moment”.