‘I want my girls to be like Asisat Oshoala and odas’
Coach Juliet Adada, di female football coach wey dey teach young girls how to play di game for Kaduna state (northwest Nigeria) say she dey happy to teach girls football despite say she get her children to take care of.
She say her Wisdom Academy dey open for girls wey wan learn football and beta dia lives.
For chat with BBC Pidgin, di former professional tok say her motivation na say make di girls use di opportunity to beta dia lives.
“My mission na say dis girls go use dis opportunity to beta dia lives even more dan myself.”
“Football na di most popular sport for di world and e dey open doors.”
“I pray say dis girls wey I dey teach one day I go siddon for my parlour dey watch dem for television as dem dey play.”
“I want di girls to be as great as Asisat Oshoala, Halima Ayinde and Francesca Ordega”
Coach Adada get three children of her own including di youngest one wey dey follow her come field everyday despite say she just be 10 months old.
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She bin retire 10 years ago afta a modest career wey see her play professionally for Pelican Stars and Confluence queens.
She play for Pelican Stars of Calabar for 2006 and Confluence Queens for 2008 both teams play in di Nigeria Women’s Football League.
“At di moment, I get more dan 30 girls wey I dey coach and I dey open to receive more as far as dem dey ready to learn.”
“Football like any oda discipline need pesin to be discipline and humble in order to learn.”
'I dey use football dey change lives’
Coach Adada give example of how one of her players give up smoking as she really wan play football.
“Dis particular player anytime she come train she go dey smell of smoke so I call her aside and tell her say it is either she give up smoke or make she no come again.”
“Luckily, di girl stop as she really get interest for football.”
Di coach say e get many oda girls like dat wey try escape from one or two societal ills and football fit be di only way for dem.
'Marriage alone no suppose define girl’
Coach Adada believe say football no dey stop marriage and e dey wrong for families to dey tink say if dia daughter dey play football she no get husband marry.
“Girl life no be only about marriage and moreover, football no dey stop marriage. As I dey tok to you now, I get husband and three children.”
“So make parents cancel dat belief say if dia daughter play football she no get husband marry.”
Coach Adada say her husband na her rock for wetin she dey do because e dey always encourage her.
“My husband na lover of sports and na pesin wey dey always encourage me for wetin I dey do.”
She also tok say she dey bring her children come field so dat dem go quickly develop interest for di sport.
“I go like make my children take afta me na why I dey always bring dem come field, di youngest na just 10 months and she always dey with me.”
Coach Adada also tok about di challenges ashe dey face for her job.
“To be honest di challenges no be here because e get girls wey wan play but dem no get means as in poverty level high for dia side.”
“Imagine girl go come play on an empty stomach and use leg trek go house so e no easy.”
Coach Adada call on goment and community leaders to chook hand inside dis program so as to make am easy for girls wey wan learn football.
Di popularity of female football dey continue to grow around di world and Nigeria no dey left out of di trend as more girls dey show interest for di sport.
Recent sucess for competitions wey Falcons play and do stardom of di likes of Asisat Oshoala dey inspire millions of girls across di kontri.
Althoug plenty challenges dey to considerand female football no dey attract di kain attention wey male football get.
So di level of investment and support dey very low wey dey affect di growth of female football.
And for muslim dominated northern Nigeria wey Coach Adada dey train girls for, many families dey also stop girls from playing as dem dey see football as a ‘man tin’.
Some analysts believe say with time though, pipo mindset regarding female football go change as di game popularity across di world dey continue.
