Super Falcons’ WAFCON Triumph Will Inspire More Girls to Embrace Football — Sam Okwaraji Foundation

The Secretary of the Samuel Okwaraji Foundation, Chidozie Achonwa, has hailed the recent WAFCON victory by Nigeria’s Super Falcons as a watershed moment for women’s football and a powerful symbol of what the girl child can achieve when given the right support and encouragement.

Speaking during a live appearance on the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) programme held at Radio House, Garki, Abuja, and anchored by Ndubeze Chidoka and Jonathan Ameh, Achonwa emphasized that the Falcons’ triumph will serve as a catalyst for increased female participation in football across Nigeria.

The Super Falcons, a fortnight ago, staged a dramatic comeback from two goals down to defeat the Atlas Lionesses of Morocco, clinching the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title for a record 10th time. Achonwa commended the team’s resilience and patriotism, stating:

‘First of all, I must give kudos to the Super Falcons for doing the country proud in Morocco. Their determination even when they were two goals down is an evidence of the never die attitude of an average Nigerian and I urge them to keep it up.’

He further noted that the victory sends a strong message to parents and society at large about the potential of girls in sports:

‘There’s no doubt that this victory will help reduce the stereotype among parents that football is not for girls and having seen the huge reward they got from the President, they’ll now start encouraging their female children, knowing fully well that they can become bread winners of their family through football.’

Achonwa also used the platform to advocate for grassroots football development, which he believes is essential for talent discovery and long-term success in international competitions. He cited the Sam Okwaraji U-16 Football Tournament as a key initiative in this direction.

‘There is no denying the fact that grassroots sports development is what the country need now to change the narratives about poor performances of our athletes at international competitions.’

‘Experience has shown that in all parts of the world, especially in Europe and America, grassroots sports development is the way to go and that was why we are organizing the forthcoming Sam Okwaraji tournament which is not only to immortalize this great Nigerian but to discover and nurture talented young players that will in future do the country proud in the round leather game,’ he concluded.