Kunle Adelabu
The sixth term winner of the African Women’s Player of the Year Award, Asisat Oshoala, has said that African teams can win the next world cup if there are better and well managed football leagues across the continent and cooperation among the federations.
Oshoala, who was announced as the African Women’s Player of the Year, on Monday, at the CAF award gala in Marrakesh, Morocco, charged clubs and football administrators to develop the game in the continent, like what is obtainable in Europe.
She gave the charge in her acceptance speech at the award gala, which generated loud applause from the audience.
“I want to use this opportunity to thank everyone who has been part of my journey from the grassroots football to the national level and the club sides, because without you, my coaches, teammates, there will be no me”, she said.
“Football is a team sport; team game and I will urge all the Federations in Africa to please, please, come together. Let’s work together and build our continent.
“Let’s make it the best in the world. It is very possible. It happened at the last men’s world cup. We saw what happened”.
Asisat, who commended African team performances at the last world cup, expressed confidence that teams that would be representing the continent in the next world cup, will perform better.
“We shocked the world. At the last world cup, all the national teams that represented Africa in Australia made history”, she said.
“I believe that we can get better before the next world cup. We can do better and we can win it for sure.
“If we don’t support ourselves, nobody will come down to Africa, nobody will come to this continent to support us.
“We have to work together as a team because football is a team sports. Let’s start at home and go to the world and conquer it”, she charged.
“Thank you very much, and God bless everyone”.
