By Emmanuel Afonne
Participating teams for the 2022 Sheroes Cup, a pre-season tournament, have started arriving in Abuja ahead of Thursday’s kick-off at the FIFA goal project, package B of Moshood Abiola National stadium, Abuja.
Chairman of the organising committee, Coach Haruna Ilerika, said in a statement on Wednesday that the tournament was designed for clubs in the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) and would hold between Nov. 4 and Nov. 13.
The participating clubs are Adamawa Queens, Edo Queens, Confluence Queens, Delta Queens, heartland Queens, Nasarawa Amazons, Royal queens and Naija Ratels.
Ilerika said that four of the eight participating NWFL clubs arrived in Abuja on Wednesday afternoon ahead of kick-off date.
He said Edo Queens, Nasarawa Amazons, Confluence Queen and Naija Ratels were already in Abuja as logistics and technical arrangements for the tournament had been perfected.
According to Ilerika, the competition will be played in a round-robin format as the teams demanded to play more games to have enough playing time to assess their players.
“After the first stage, the first two teams will play in the final, while the third and fourth placed sides on the table will play the third-place match.
“This kind of tournament gives players the opportunity to gain exposure to national team and secure transfer to better their careers.”
Ilerika, who is also the Secretary of FCT Football Association (FA), said that adequate hotel arrangements had been made for the clubs.
He assured the clubs of good officiating, while describing bad refeering as one of the biggest challenges in football in the country because of “win at all cost syndrome”.
Ilerika further said; “Why will any team come for a pre-season tournament and want to desperately win?
“Who do you want to impress; instead of judiciously using the competition to assess your team, you are lobbying referees.
“I can assure the clubs that they will get fair officiating.
“I have discussed with the chairman of refereeing committee in the FCT, and I told him that if we find any referee wanting, technically or otherwise, we won’t waste time to sanction him or her because what we want is quality.
“We have a total number of 30 games to be played and there will be at least four matches everyday. There will be seminar and award night.”
The fixtures for the tournament would see the teams play about 30 matches in all, with at least four matches everyday.
In the opening game, Adamawa Queens will battle Royal Queens by 8 a.m. on Friday, while the game between Confluence Queens and Nasarawa Amazons will follow thereafter at 10 a.m.
Delta Queens will engage Naija Ratels same day by 2 p.m., as the match between Edo and Heartland Queens takes place from 4 p.m.
Sheroes Cup transformed from Flying Officers Cup with the 2022 edition. (NAN)
