Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President, Amaju Pinnick, has said that Super Falcons’ forward Asisat Oshoala’s BBC Women’s Player of the Year award will help boost women’s football in Nigeria.
He said: “This award has come at the right time, with the Falcons (players) about to start their World Cup campaign, and with an administration that is committed to growing the women’s game in place at the NFF.
“The present NFF wants to do so much to develop the women’s game. The Super Falcons, Falconets and Flamingos are our special daughters.
“The Falcons, for instance, have won seven out of nine editions of the African Women Championship (AWC) and have qualified for every edition of the women’s World Cup.
“The Falconets and Flamingos have also played at every edition of their own World Cups. So, we have absolutely no reason to treat the women’s game with disdain.
“We will come up with policies that will grow the women’s game in a powerful way and make the women’s league very strong.”
Pinnick is of the firm belief that the award will spur more girls to want to play the game in Nigeria, while inspiring those already involved in the game to be more dedicated.
While congratulating Oshoala, Pinnick said he looks forward to the gifted forward motivating her team mates to set new marks for Nigeria at the seventh FIFA Women’s World Cup holding in Canada from June 6 to July 5, 2015.
“Our girls are in Canada as champions of Africa. Their best outing at the World Cup has been quarterfinal berth at the 1999 finals in U.S.A., where they lost to Brazil in extra time.
“Seriously speaking, we look forward to the Falcons setting new records in Canada.”