Delectable, dependable, indefatigably Amazon, Aisha Falode has weathered the storm of uncertainty, she has broken the stumbling blocks of failures and scaled the hurdles of impossibilities as she emerged, chairman of the Nigeria Women league.
Brilliant, beautiful, brave and bold, Aisha's appointment which was long overdue, has suddenly revived dead bones and strengthened weak nerves of some avowed disciples of the women game who were gradually losing hope after years of neglect and outright dejection.
The league had suffered untold hardship, the women game has summersaulted from the zenith to the bottom and what we have left are shackles and carcasses. This tells the story of four years of turture and pains that key followers of the game have been made to go through.
Now light has surfaced from the other side of a very dark tunnel as one of football's brightest brains, a respected CAF and FIFA stalwart of over a decade, have been saddled with the huge responsibility of revamping a dying league.
She has accepted this challenge with both hands and has promised to make a success out of a very palatable situation. In her usual subtle approach, she plans to take the bull by the horn and drag the sinking boat called the womens league to the shore of redemption and succour.
"Wale, it is a job for all of us who so much believed in this dream, it is a journey full of thorns and rocks but together we must embark on this long drive and hopefully, in two years we will get to our destination with heads raised" she said after hearing about her appointment.
Her clout in the international football circles is not contestable. Her reputation as a proven sports journalist is also not in doubt and her understanding of the game on and off the field cannot easily be wished aside.
When Shehu Dikko emerged from the blues to rebrand and reposition the Nigeria professional football league, many people screamed Waooooh! If the achievement of Dikko in the league is incredible, that of Aisha Falode in two years will be unimaginable.
Like Dikko, she possesses the persuasive power of a great marketer. She has the intelligence of a silent operator and she packs knowledge and ideas in her beautiful brain. Working with her, are some very aggressive and forward looking individuals whose achievement in sports marketing also speaks volume.
Nkechi Obi did wonders with the team Nigeria project many years ago and as CEO of the women's league, her wealth of experience and that of the former chairperson Dillichukwu Onyedinma can only help to spur the women game to greater glories.
Welcome to the saddle our amazing Amazon. We know you have God, we know you are a believer and any woman with Christ is a winner. Mama sports go out there and do us proud. Once again congratulation for this worthy promotion. You deserve every bit of it.
By Adewale Ajayi
(Ajayi is a Sports Correspondent with AIT)
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