AWCON 2018: Nigeria remains the team to beat — Mmadu News

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AWCON 2018: Nigeria remains the team to beat — Mmadu

By Daily Sports on November 5, 2018

Maureen Mmadu, the first Nigerian to hit the FIFA Century Club (100 caps) and winner of four AWCON titles with the Super Falcons in her heydays, believes the current squad can go all the way again in Ghana.

Currently serving as an assistant to Swede Thomas Dennerby, the 42-year-old told CAFOnline.com that the Super Falcons remain the team to beat as the 11th edition of the biennial championship gets underway in Accra and Cape Coast in a few weeks.

Nigeria is housed in Group B along with South Africa, Kenya and Zambia, and Mmadu admitted the Super Falcons already have their work cut out.

“I think there is little or no argument that Nigeria is still the number one women’s football country in Africa and not only because the Super Falcons had won almost all the past championship,” explained Mmadu who also featured in four FIFA Women’s World Cup with Nigeria.

“The truth is that we (Nigerians) embraced women’s football earlier than most African countries and that is why you have so much talent all over the country.”

Though the country is still grappling with the task of organising a well-structured women’s football league, Mmadu reckons there would be light at the end of the tunnel should other conglomerate embrace women football as did global energy brand AITEO that guaranteed the sum of N10 million naira (about) for winners of the women’s national cup with N10 million naira

She said: “We must give credit to the organisers of the women’s league because there is greater awareness now and they are working hard to get sponsorship for the competitions which can further improve standard and exposure for the players.

“The Super Falcons have many foreign-based players from the European leagues to the Chinese Super League and this is their edge against other teams on the continent because the players give the coaches different options.”

Mmadu after an impressive career at club and country levels, took up coaching appointment with Norwegian women First Division team Avaldsnes IL before her appointment early this year with the Super Falcons technical set up. (CAF)

•Photo shows Maureen Mmadu

Source Daily Sports

Posted November 5, 2018