Nigerian Football
NIGERIAN WOMEN’S LEAGUE IS AHEAD OF SOUTH AFRICA’S, SAYS AISHA FALODE
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) board member and deputy chairperson of the women’s football committee has disputed the claim that South Africa has taken a step further than that of Nigeria by establishing a professional football league, which begins this weekend.
According to her, professional women football league in Nigeria dates back to the era of Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima, who was the chairman of the then Nigeria Football Association, NFA.
She remarked that the Nigerian women’s league is not all in the amateur cadre as it is run in three tiers – the Premier being the highest class.
The other cadres are the professional and the amateur league.
Dapo Sotuminu, the head of media of the Nigerian Football Women’s League added that the women’s professional football league in Nigeria is at least 19 years ahead of that of South Africa.
“I remember, it was Alhaja Ayo Omidiran, then a board member of the NFA and chairperson of the women’s football committee, that raised the motion at the NFA Congress for the establishment of professional women’s league.
Ever since, we have been running a women’s professional league in Nigeria”, Sotuminu added.