FIFA Women’s World Cup: Adedayomi charges Super Falcons to go all the way

Oru Leonard 

The Nigeria senior women’s national team, the Super Falcons, has been advised to compete without fear, spread their wings, and fly over their opponents when the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup begins in Australia and New Zealand in two weeks’ time.

Adedayomi Benjamins-Laniyi (ABL) the conveyor of ABL -Unity Championship 2023, says the Falcons will enjoy political, national, and global support at the FIFA world cup as promised by Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.

Adedayomi, on Tuesday, while speaking at the official press briefing for the ABL -Unity Championship 2023 in Abuja, also advised women in politics to learn from the Super Falcons who are attempting to go against all odds to emerge winner at the 2023 FIFA World Cup.

“We understand Her Excellency, the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu hosted the Super Falcons, why? Because the power of unity in sportsmanship is second to none. Therefore, it came to me very clearly that in a time and season when there’s so much going on, one thing must be accomplished. And it is my privilege to be the initiator in the Centre of Unity, the capital city of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to host, convene, and engage in a football tournament in the spirit of unity. When you walk in unity, everyone becomes a champion. The most critical ingredient of any game is the power to drive with your team the courage of that goal. Once you can do that, you don’t see color, you don’t see age, you don’t see religion, you don’t see your church denomination. No, all you see is the goal. Can I score the winning goal?

“The winning goal for Nigeria is a message, unity, that we may be one. Unity through sportsmanship. And you know, the power of sportsmanship is what you find played out in political advocacy. You go against all the odds to emerge a winner, just like we have seen with His Excellency, our President, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

“I also would like to say, for me, it’s also a message to women in politics. You ask me how and why. I’ve looked at it, and I say many times when it comes to positioning women in the political space, it’s almost become an argument or a presentation and profiling of entitlement.

“I’ve gone through it, I’ve experienced it. It is not an entitlement. Women in politics need to go into it like the female footballers, Super Falcons, go into football, with their skill set. So, women in politics, we must ask ourselves, what is our skill set and what is my positioning on the field, on the political field?

“Women in politics, like women in football, find your place, your position, and do everything not to show yourself, but to show your team,” the media mogul said.

The Super Falcons will face Canada, Australia, and the Republic of Ireland in the group stage of the world cup and Adedayomi who contested in the 2022 Primaries for FCT-Senate under the platform of APC, believes the Nigerian girls can go all the way to lift the world cup.

“I think that the support is already not just a political statement, but a national and global one. We have a First Lady giving our champion Super Falcons first priority, first presentation in terms of media celebration. There’s only one thing for them to do, spread their wings, fly, and attain the highest height of delivering for Nigeria, their very first trophy.

“Oh, may it be the honor and the glory of the Nigerian woman Super Falcons for this to be our pride and our celebration. Thank you very much, Your Excellency, First Lady. Thank you, she concluded.

Meanwhile, the LOC chairman of the ABL -Unity Championship 2023, MOO Mohammed says the championship will be used to scout for talents to be nurtured and exported to clubs in Europe. Participating teams for the championship which kicks off on July 8th, 2023 will be drawn from the six Area Councils in the FCT. Former Super Eagles players Kanu Nwankwo and Femi Ajilore are the ambassadors for the ABL -Unity Championship 2023.