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Akide calls attention to women game

By Daily Sports on May 16, 2016

Former Nigerian markswoman Mercy Akide-Udoh has said women's football worldwide, especially on the African continent, deserves greater attention and investment.

Akide-Udoh is one of the legends of the game and the only former African woman player invited by Fifa to attend the General Assembly in Mexico in order to help chart a new course for football and the Nigerian ace said women have been given too little attention for too long.

“Women train as hard as the men, play as hard as the men but women footballers are treated like second class citizens, especially in Africa. That needs to change.

“The women must be treated with respect, they must be paid as well as the men and they must have proper domestic competitions to play in.

“It is very important for sponsors to invest in women's football as many of these footballers are also breadwinners for their families.

“To do that we need to sit down talk about what is wrong with the game and find workable ways to make things better,” said Akide-Udoh to supersport.com.

Akide-Udoh praised the Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, for his initiatives in reshaping the round-leather game.

“It was a good experience interacting with him. He has some bright ideas to move football forward and I believe that with everyone's support he will make things better,” said Akide-Udoh.

Mia Hamm and Luis Figo were appointed as the player representatives in the Fifa Council and Akide-Udoh said they will be great representatives.

“Mia and Luis have the full support of all of us as our representatives on the Fifa Council and I have no doubt in my mind that they will do a fantastic job,” said the former Nigerian goal queen.

•Text copied from Supersports.com. Photo shows Mercy Akide during her playing days for Nigeria.

Source Daily Sports

Posted May 16, 2016