Soccer fans in and around Jos were treated to the best of female football frenzy as the maiden edition of the International Women’s Day Football Tournament initiated and sponsored by the Hon Dr Suleiman Yahaya Kwande’s led board of the Plateau State Football Association came to a glorious climax with top government functionaries and football administrators witnessing what could best be described as rejuvenation of female football on the Plateau
With the skies pregnant with rain and a corresponding cold weather, the New Zaria Road Stadium boozing with music from the gigantic speakers set the tone for a scintillating encounter between Plateau Queens and Jets International Mata.
In affirmation of the popular Nigerian slogan that “Senior na senior”, Plateau Queens wasted no time to confirm their superiority over their younger sisters when Rita Sunday in a typical world-class fashion, slotted home to put Plateau Queens ahead after drilling past the entire defense line of Jets International Mata
Rita Sunday would soon go on to double the advantage for Plateau Queens to reaffirm their status as the Queen of football on the Plateau. In a quick fire action, the Queens added icing on the cake with a third goal from Juliet Abwo to extinguish any hope of a possible comeback from the ladies in Red and white of Jets
Speaking exclusively to PFA Media crew immediately after the game, the workaholic State Chairman of Plateau State Football Association, Hon Dr Suleiman Yahaya Kwande said the place of women in nation building cannot be replaced hence the decision of the board to celebrate them with a tournament. He said “without women, the world will be blind and without direction”. He assured that besides the yearly tournament, female football has come to stay as the board under his watchful eyes shall more female football competitions are organized to contest the wrongly held notion that football is strictly for the male folks
Dr Kwande vow to ensure that female footballers from Plateau State will be discovered until they represent the nation at the international stage.
On her part, the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hon Caroline Dafur said words were grossly inadequate for her to sufficiently thank the football fraternity on the Plateau led by Hon Dr Suleiman Yahaya Kwande for elevating the status of women to the high heavens. She re echoed the pledge of the PFA Chairman to ensure that next year’s edition is bigger and better
Permanent Secretary Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Barr Mrs Rebecca Shasheet who performed the kick off expressed surprise with the quality of female football she saw and just like Oliver twist, asked for more female tournaments and pledged the ministry’s total support to the Kwande’s led board
In a post match interview, the two Assistant General Managers of both sides, Salisu Nakande of Mighty Jets International FC and Danjuma Isandu of Plateau United FC, beaming with smiles and happiness applauded the Kwande’s led board for organizing such a tournament for the first time in the history of the State Football Association. They both promised to ensure the girls get better and assured that the best of female football soccer artistry shall be on display when the two teams clash again during the finals of the female State’s Federation Cup.
