Philippe Tchere commends participants as CAF/WAFU-B Women’s Football Administrators Workshop ends in Abuja

By Harry Awurumibe, Editor-in-Chief, Abuja                                                                                                                                                  Executive Director of the West African Football Union Zone B (WAFU-B), Mr. Philippe Tchere has commended the participants in the 3-Day CAF/WAFU-B Women’s Football Administrators Workshop, which ended in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja today.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the workshop, an elated Tchere said the participants from the seven West African countries that make up WAFU-B have learnt a great deal from the interactions with their peers from other countries and presentations of resource persons too.

The participants were drawn from host country Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin Republic, and Niger Republic. Each country presented two participants.

According to WAFU-B top official, the participants made up of heads of women’s football from the above mentioned seven WAFU-B nations will now go back to their countries respectively to develop women’s football right from the grassroots.

Tchere argued that women’s football is strong in the West African sub-region and assured the WAFU-B secretariat will work to sustain the tempo and also determined to support the development of women’s football from the grassroots.

He said this is the only way the players can graduate from the youth to the senior level so that the regional block will continue to be strong in Africa.

Also, speaking at the closing ceremony of the workshop, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Head of Women Football Development, Ms. Goshime Meskerem praised the participants and encouraged them to go back home and put into practice what they have learnt in the workshop in Abuja for the good of women’s football in their countries and Africa in general.

Meskerem also assured the Member Associations (MAs) to always knock on the doors of CAF for assistance and collaboration on how best to develop women’s football in Africa, pointing out that CAF may not be able to reach out to no fewer than 54 MAs except they come forward with their demands from the continental football governing body.

She, however, commended Nigeria for being the power house of women’s football in Africa and joking said that after winning the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) for a record-extending 10 times, she wants other countries to also lift the trophy.

A participant and member of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Executive Committee, Ms. Aisha Falode, who gave the vote of thanks, commended CAF and WAFU-B for organising the workshop, saying that the knowledge acquired during the three days workshop would help women’s football administrators to administer the women’s game better.

The 3-Day CAF/ WAFU-B Women’s Football Administrators Workshop was declared closed by the NFF Deputy General Secretary, Dr. Emmanuel Ikpeme, who represented the General Secretary Dr. Mohammed Sanusi. President of NFF Ibrahim Musa Gusau is currently the President of the subregional WAFU-B with the headquarters in Abidjan, Cotè d’Ivoire.

Amongst the resource persons who made far-reaching presentations during the workshop are Nigeria’s women’s football legend Ms. Precious Uzoaru Dede, who is a WAFU-B Football Development Manager; as well as Ms. Jules McGeever from England and Ms.Thuba Sibanda from Zimbabwe, who are both CAF Instructors, are the Facilitators for the three-day conference.

Also, in attendance was the President of WAFU-B Women’s Football Commission, Ms. Amina Amani, while the workshop was coordinated by NFF Director of Competitions Ms. Ruth David, just the federation’s Director of Communications, Dr. Ademola Olajire was the moderator.