Odegbami: Nigerian Women Will Reach Sports Summit Before Men

Former Nigeria captain Segun Odegbami believes Nigerian women will reach the summit of world sports before their male counterparts, backing the Flamingos to make history in Saturday’s FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup final against Japan in Morocco.

Odegbami said victory in Casablanca would be a major boost for women’s sports in Nigeria and provide the motivation for the next generation of female athletes to pursue greater international honours.

The former Green Eagles captain believes the Flamingos have what it takes to defeat Japan for the first time in their U-17 encounters and become the first African nation to win the tournament.

‘With a little bit of luck, the Flamingos will win, create history yet again, and add to the achievements of Nigerian girls in international sports,’ Odegbami wrote in a goodwill message ahead of the final.

He attributed his confidence in Nigerian women to more than three decades of personal experience working with female athletes, beginning with long jump champion Chioma Ajunwa in 1991.

Odegbami recalled supporting Ajunwa during her four-year suspension from athletics before becoming an officially registered athletes’ representative with the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), now World Athletics, and the Athletics Federation of Nigeria.

He subsequently managed several Nigerian athletes, mostly women, and disclosed that two of the female athletes under his management won gold and silver medals at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.

He also recalled spending eight years managing First Bank Women’s Basketball Club, where he witnessed the determination and competitive spirit of female players at national and continental levels.

‘That’s where I discovered the awesome power of women in sports,’ he said, describing their work ethic, fighting spirit and determination to win as exceptional.

Odegbami, however, identified inadequate facilities and resources as major obstacles to the development of female sports in Nigeria.

He said improvements at his sports institution over the past year had provided the facilities, personnel and environment needed to establish a programme capable of producing elite female athletes and footballers.

The former international expressed confidence that Nigeria could become a global sporting superpower with the right administrative leadership, insisting that women would lead the country’s emergence.

‘With the right administrative leadership piloting Nigerian sports, within a few years, the country shall become a global superpower in some sports, including football at both male and female categories. But I believe the women will get to the top first,’ he stated.

He urged the Flamingos to draw inspiration from Nigerian female sporting greats, including Modupe Oshikoya, Ronke Akindele, Chioma Ajunwa, Mercy Akide, Asisat Oshoala, Tobi Amusan, Mary Onyali and Falilat Ogunkoya.

Odegbami expressed optimism that Saturday’s final could mark another defining moment for Nigerian women’s sports, wishing the team success against Japan.