Following the successful culmination of the Nigerian Amputee Football Federation’s (NAFF) “Kick for Love” tournament on February 14th, President Paul Maduakor unveiled ambitious programs aimed at furthering the development of amputee football in Nigeria.
In a comprehensive post-event interview with Sports 247, Maduakor provided insight into the federation’s strategic initiatives and upcoming competitions.
“This year’s program is part of the preparation for the next championships we have ahead,” Maduakor disclosed, outlining the federation’s focus on upcoming international tournaments. “We have the African Nations Cup in Egypt in April.
We have the World Women’s Amputee World Cup in Colombia. This is still part of the dress rehearsal we are using to prepare ourselves for those tournaments ahead.”
Maduakor emphasized the professionalism and talent within Nigeria’s amputee football community, noting the participation of Nigerian players in international leagues.
“What you’ve seen today is a display of active professional amputee game,” he remarked. “We also have some Nigerians who are plying their trade abroad, playing professional football, amputee football with clubs in Turkey, in Poland, in England, in Germany.
They will also join the B-50 team that will represent Nigeria at the Nations Cup.”
Highlighting the federation’s commitment to talent identification and development, Maduakor announced plans for open camps to assess potential players.
“We will be calling an open camp in two weeks,” he revealed. “But after that, we will prune them to the closed camping where we will now incorporate some of the professionals that we drilled to know who is fit to represent Nigeria.”
Addressing the growing interest in female participation, Maduakor underscored the federation’s intention to establish a national female team.
“You have seen the female players trying to ply their trade with the men,” he stated. “Once we finish our camping for the male team, we will start the full business of drilling the female team to prepare them for the World Cup.”
Acknowledging challenges, particularly regarding incentives for players, Maduakor appealed for support from the government, corporate entities, and individuals.
“The government cannot run the sport alone,” he asserted. “These players have shown that they can never be beggars on the streets of Nigeria.
So, let’s give them all the necessary support for them to achieve their destiny and their dream of playing amputee football professionally.”
With a steadfast commitment to excellence and a vision for inclusivity, the Nigerian Amputee Football Federation, under President Paul Maduakor’s leadership, aims to propel the nation’s amputee footballers to new heights on the global stage.
