Tayo Ogunseye
As a step towards creating collaboration with key support stakeholders, the Nigeria MiniFootball Association President Umar Yusuf Datti has paid a courtesy call to the Nigeria Premier Football League chairman Gbenga Elegbeleye in Lagos.
The visit to the league top shot is motivated by the desire of the association to seeks ways at putting up a strong representation at the Africa MiniFootball Confederation Women’s Nations Cup to be hosted Cameroon in August and the Africa Nations Cup taking place in Guinea next year.
Players, both men and women from the domestic scenes who will feature in MiniFootball events are expected to form part of the teams at the two tournaments.
One of the key competitions, the Lagos State MiniFootball League is expected to provide the platform for players’ selection.
Datti in his remark during the visit commended Hon. Elegbeleye for lending a great support to the NMA as it’s patron.
He inundated the former Director General of the National Sports Commission on the plans of the association to prepare a solid national teams for both international competitions.
“The African MiniFootball Confederation Women’s Nations Cup is holding this August and we have the men’s Nations Cup next year June in Guinea. You are our Patron, we thank you for your support for all the things you have been doing for MiniFootball. The female AFCON is coming soon. Our challenges now is to see how you can support us to help us get quality players. You know Nigeria is blessed with so much talents when it comes to women’s football. This is evident in the Super Falcons who are the champions of Africa. So the only thing we need the girls to know is the rules and regulations of MiniFootball” he stated.
He emphasised on the importance of the forthcoming Lagos MiniFootball League as it’s being expected to be the ground for sourcing talents for the national teams when it begins on July 31.
“We have the Lagos State MiniFootball Association chairman who is also the chairman of Agege Local Government Area Hon. Abdul-Ganiyu Vinod Obasa who is putting up the Lagos MiniFootball League which will be part of our preparations for the AMC women’s AFCON in Cameroon”, he said.
Datti presented a national team jersey to the league supremo.
Hon. Elegbeleye thanked the NMA for the visit and recognition as he stated that he would have more discussion on plans to ensure the country send strong teams to both MiniFootball tournaments.
