Phoenix Queens claim 2024 Sapphire Girl Child Day Football Tournament title

By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde

FC Phoenix Queens were crowned winners of the 2024 Sapphire Nigeria Women Football Supporters Club (SNWFSC) Girl Child Day football tournament on Saturday.

The Lagos-based side finished top of the round-robin stage three of the competition at the Albati Barracks Stadium, Ojuelegba, Lagos, Nigeria.

They defeated Unizee Sheila 3-1 on penalties in the first stage after a 0-0 scoreline.

Victory Queens was their victim in the second stage, which qualified the team for the third stage, where they amassed four points to win the title.

With the theme: “Empowering the Next Generation of Female Leaders through Sports”, the event brought together former Nigeria Internationals, sports administrators, students, and the general public to celebrate and inspire the next generation of female leaders using sports as a tool.

During the program, there was a seminar to impact participants, mentorship activities, leadership training, a football competition that featured twelve teams, scouting activities, empowerment activities, and entertainment.

The program impacted about 300 girls between 12 and 16 years of age.

It also served as an avenue for the scouting of at least 20 players into the Nigeria Women Football League system.

Sapphire Nigeria Women’s Football Supporters Club, the facilitator of the International Day of the Girl Child, intends to use sports as a tool to empower young girls, thereby helping to reduce gender-based violence human trafficking involving the girl child and out-of-sof schoolldren.

It also hopes to provide funding for the educational needs of young girls, including tuition payment, provision of uniforms, support for meals, and transportation, amongst others.