How I Discovered Asisat Oshoala — Uche Eucharia

Former Super Falcons Coach, Uche Ngozi Eucharia, said her judgement about current African Women’s best player, Asisat Oshoala, becoming a world-class player was right.

Eucharia revealed this in an exclusive interview with Wakawaka Sports Extra, saying she stood her ground in ensuring that Oshoala made the African qualifiers list despite resistance.

She went further to say that Barr. Chris Green gave his backing on her choice to pick Oshoala, having received backlash from some members of the NFF Technical Committee.

The former Super Falcons Coach added that Oshoala was not known in the women’s game at that time but got attention after she featured her in the Super Falcons under her tutelage.

She reminded Wakawaka Sports Extra that Oshoala has gone on to win the African footballer of the year five times and is the first African woman to be nominated for the Ballon d’Or award.

The Mbaise Imo State-born Coach said. “I am happy today that my judgement about her becoming world-class was right. I am happy that in my time such a player that has made Nigeria and Africa proud was discovered for the national team. I am mostly happy today that she did not disappoint.

“Oshoala was a young teenage girl far back in 2011 playing for Robo Queens FC of Lagos. She was still in secondary school then and was not known in the national team circle whether as U17 or U20 invitee or member.

“One of my assistants mentioned her to me but said she was too young to play for Super Falcons. I said football is not by age but by what you have in your head and what you can do with your legs.

“Moreover since anyone can play for the senior national team from the age of 16, I decided to invite her to the Super Falcons being her first invitation to the national team.

“During the screening of newly invited players, I observed her with keen interest and she showed proof of being an outstanding future player. At this point, I decided to give her a chance to build her confidence and give her the exposure she needed at that time.

“It was from my camp that she went to write her WAEC and returned, though her inclusion did not go down well with many technical members. Then, I stood my ground on her making my list in one of the African qualifiers because I saw raw extraordinary talent in her that needed to be developed and encouraged for the future.

“I told Oshoala personally that she has qualities of becoming a great player and that all she needed was to have confidence in her herself, be disciplined and prayerful.

“The critics and queried on why I should include Oshoala in my list went on until Barr. Chris Green and some members of the Technical Committee decided to watch one of our last preparatory games, after watching her play Barr. Green walked up to me and said to me, for the fact that you spotted this girl out and invited her to the national team. I am convinced you are a very good coach, that was the only backing I had then.

“And to some journalists, I asked if Oshoala was my daughter or even Igbo and they said no and I said that settles it. It was after that exposure that junior team national coaches now took note of her.

“At one stage, she was playing for both senior and junior national teams and from there to play overseas.”

•Credit:
Wakawaka Sports Extra