Multiple African champions Nigeria are without a substantive head coach since the departure of Swede Thomas Dennerby last year and Akide-Udoh, the first ever recipient of the continent’s Women’s Player of the Year in 2001 says she is ready to fill the spot.
Asked which level of Nigeria’s women national teams she would like to coach by www.aclsports.com Chief Football Writer Fisayo Dairo during an Instagram Live session with Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) official platform on Thursday evening, Akide replied:
“I try to make sure I take care of all the aspects. So I don’t mind whether it is the junior team or the Super Falcons, I am ready.
“I don’t care what level. If you want to be a good coach like I am, I can coach even a cripple, if you come to Virginia Beach (where she lives in USA) and ask for any female coach, they will call my name, that’s how good I am with both little kids, adults medium, whatever,” added the friendly coach based in the United States.
Akide Udoh, 44, was topscorer when Nigeria won the inaugural Africa Women’s Championship on home soil in 1998 and repeated same feat two years later in their successful defence in South Africa.
She also left a message to encourage women footballers in the country as they aspire to take after the legends of the game in the country and reach enviable heights in their careers.
“Stay humble, whatever your religion is, hold strong to it and always believe that you can do it. Don’t let anyone tell you you can’t do it.
“Sometimes it is okay to be stubborn. I have strong will and that’s what saw me through. Respect your elders, don’t think you’ve arrived when people are praising you because the same people will mock you if you go down,” added the former striker who scored in every major tournament she participated in from 1998.
NFF President Amaju Pinnick had disclosed last week in Lagos that the Federation would name a World Class coach for the Super Falcons once the Coronavirus pandemic situation is over.
