Naija Ratels FC of Abuja has signed an 11-year-old and six other young players ahead of the 2021/2022 Nigeria Women Football League premiership (NWFL premiership).

Paul Edeh, proprietor of the newly promoted premiership club, disclosed at an unveiling ceremony in Abuja.

“We have a very young player here called Mirabel, she is just 11 years old and she has also been placed on scholarship up to University level; a record for the league.

“We are not only developing the players for the club, but for national teams when the need arises, ” he said.

Mr Edeh new players, most of whom are teens, were carefully scouted from the grassroots in line with the traditions of the club.

He said with the new signings, a total of 44 players were set to be registered for the new season.

“Our vision is to discover and groom young players; we discovered these players from our grassroots pre-season.

“My vision is to give these young girls the opportunity to play football, which they have been yearning for,” he said.

Mr Edeh said other young players would also be placed on scholarships, as part of efforts to ensure the girls combined their budding football career with sound education.

Earlier, the team’s Head coach, Bankole Olowookere, said the team was fully ready for the season, and to ‘ruffle the feathers’ of established teams in the league.

The experienced tactician, who is also the coach of the Flamingos, the national U-17 women’s team, maintained that football was no longer played by big names, but by young dynamic players with a good team chemistry.

He said most of the new signings were from academies, and that his priority was to mould them into a formidable team.

“We have been training hard for the new season and I can tell you that we are not scared of any big name, we are a young side ready to take the league by storm,” he said.

The players unveiled included: 11 year-old Mirable Amedu from Naija Ratels academy, Fakiyesi Abisola and Mbah Chidinma from New Generation Football Academy, Omede Regina from Adamawa Queens.

Others are Precious Daniel (WACO), Sandra Adugbe, Lakeside Queens Academy, and Adesina Itunuoluwa.

Naija Ratels FC is one of the newly promoted NWFL sides and would be participating in the third edition of the Flying Officers Cup billed for October in Abuja. 

(NAN)