As the Nigeria Women Football League champions Edo Queens prepare to confront their first opponents AS Garde Nationale in the WAFU-B tournament in Burkina Faso today, the Executive Chairman, Edo State Sports Commission, Hon. Amadin Desmond Enabulele, has commended the Edo State governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo for his tremendous support for the team and the enabling environment his administration has created for sports to thrive in the state.
Enabulele gave the commendation while chatting with journalists in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, ahead of Edo Queens’ opening match in the WAFU-B fixture against AS Garde Nationale of Niger Republic.
According to him, “The state government has prioritised the welfare of the players and technical crew throughout the team’s preparation, creating the right environment for Edo Queens to compete at the highest level”.
He particularly commended Governor Okpebholo, for his commitment to rewarding athletes and supporting sports development, noting that the governor’s approach has provided additional motivation for the team.
“Let me first appreciate His Excellency, the Governor of Edo State, for the tremendous support and commitment to sports development in our state. The government has created an enabling environment for our athletes to train, prepare and compete at the highest level,” Enabulele said.
He expressed confidence in Edo Queens’ ability to compete favourably with the other West African participants for the WAFU-B Women’s Champions League qualification tickets in Burkina Faso,
The Sports Commission Chairman said the team was fully prepared for the competition, following an extensive preparation programme that included a 30-day camping exercise and a series of high-quality friendly matches against teams invited from Lagos and other parts of Nigeria.
He recalled Edo Queens’ successful run in the previous WAFU-B competition, where the team emerged champions, stressing that the feat had raised expectations ahead of this year’s campaign.
Enabulele, however, acknowledged that the team face a major task, insisting that Edo Queens would approach the competition one game at a time with the ultimate objective of winning the championship.
“Our target is the championship. We are here to win it, but we also understand that it is one game at a time,” he said.
On the absence of the team’s head coach, Moses Aduku, who is currently on national assignment with Nigeria’s U-20 team in Poland, Enabulele explained that Bendel Insurance Technical Manager, Coach Kennedy Boboye, had stepped in to oversee the team, alongside Edo Queens’ assistant coaches who are already on ground.
He expressed confidence in the technical arrangement, stressing that Boboye’s role was primarily to provide oversight while the team’s established coaching structure remains intact.
Enabulele revealed that Governor Okpebholo had given the team a clear mandate to return from Burkina Faso with the trophy.
“The target is clear and direct — five over five. We are here to win the five matches. Anything short of winning the five matches will be disappointing for us in Edo State. The Governor has made it clear: go to Burkina Faso and bring the trophy,” he stated.
Ahead of the opening fixture, Enabulele also disclosed that efforts were underway to mobilise Nigerians resident in Burkina Faso to support Edo Queens at the stadium.
He said he had already engaged members of the Nigerian community in Ouagadougou and visited Nigerian and African restaurants as part of the mobilisation drive. Edo Queens jerseys were also distributed to some members of the community to encourage their support for the team.
He further disclosed that another meeting with the Nigerian community was scheduled as part of efforts to ensure strong support for the team when they take on AS Garde Nationale.
Speaking on the transformation agenda of the Edo State Sports Commission, Enabulele said the commission had adopted a deliberate approach to sports development, with emphasis on grassroots talent identification, athletes’ welfare, coaching and regular competitions.
He explained that the commission was moving away from a reactive approach to sports development towards a system where talents are deliberately identified, nurtured and provided with opportunities to compete.
“Our focus this time around has purely been grassroots athletes, welfare, coaching and competitions,” he said.
Enabulele linked the success recorded by Team Edo at recent youth competitions to the state’s renewed focus on grassroots development, noting that the governor had specifically directed the Sports Commission to prioritise young athletes.
Edo Queens
He said the approach was already yielding results, as Edo continues to produce athletes with impressive performances across different sporting competitions.
