Tunde Ogunja, a member of the Ondo State Football Agency (ODSFA) management committee, has berated the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) for not sending representatives to the burial of ex-international goalkeeper Elizabeth Johnson.

This is contained in a statement on Sunday in Akure by the Sunshine Queens Football Club’s spokesman Femi Atolagbe.

According to the statement, the late Sunshine Queens’ goalkeeper’s remains were buried at her residence in Ilorin, Kwara State, on Saturday.

Ogunja, who frowned upon the absence of representatives of the NFF and the NWFL at the burial of the former national team player, said she deserved national recognition.

“Elizabeth Johnson Black had served Nigeria at both Super Falcons and Falconets levels. She deserved national recognition. It’s undeserving not to have the representatives of the two bodies here today,” he said.

According to the statement, players and officials of the team, led by Ogunja, were on the ground to pay their last respects to the ex-international who died on February 19.

Ogunja led the Ondo delegation to the funeral.

Johnson was born in Kogi and started her football career with Oladimeji Tigress in Kwara. She joined Delta Queens in 2004 before moving to Baku, Azerbaijan, in 2007.

She returned to Nigeria in 2010 and played for Bayelsa Queens for four years. She left the Yenegoa side for Sunshine Queens in 2014, where she plied her trade till she breathed her last.

Johnson had over 70 caps for Super Falcons and Falconets, featuring in the 2004 World Championship in Canada, Africa Cup of Nations/Olympic Games.

She won the Azerbaijani league, African Women’s Nations Championships and Federation Cup with Sunshine Queens in 2015.

She was survived by her Delta-born husband, mother, brothers and sisters.

(NAN)