Former Super Falcons star and coach, Eucharia Uche, talks about growing up and her involvement in women football in an interview.
How did you start football?
I started playing at a tender age with my brothers. Normally boys play football whether you teach them how to play or not. And because I was in the midst of them, I did what they did. We started playing with oranges, leather and rubber balls until eventually women football started in 1991. Before that time, I played for Bendel Striking Queens, now Inneh Queens, and Rivers Angels. I played a couple of YSFON-organised competitions like Olu of Warri Cup and Princess Jegede Cup before the Nigeria Football Association embraced women football. That was in 1991. We had no difficulty breaking into the national team and becoming pioneers of the game in Nigeria.
Was your family happy with your choice of football?
Then football was not popular among women; it was not seen as a women’s game. If you were seen playing football among boys, you were seen as a wayward person. People had different opinions about and it happened in my time. A lot of people said, ‘This girl playing football, will she be useful again? What is she up to?’ They felt I would become wayward. It got to a stage that male teams started dragging me to play for them in competitions in our villages. I remember vividly one experience I had. An elderly man who saw me playing competitively with boys in those days, before 1991, said, ‘This girl will never be useful.’ But incidentally after the 1991 World Cup, which I was a part of, the same man came to my house and apologised and eventually benefitted from the goodies. So, it was like that then; people had different opinions.
What was society’s view about the game then?
While there were many oppositions and opinions here and there, I was a gifted child. I was not only doing the things boys could do, I was also a brilliant child. I think that helped me a lot. When results were released, I did well and my mother always said, ‘Why are you killing this child for nothing? After all she is doing well in school. Leave her alone.’ I think my mother was my backbone. Even when everybody was against me, she was always there for me. When I was beaten, she would say, ‘Don’t mind them, just make sure you are doing the right thing and taking your education serious. If that (football) is what makes you happy, go ahead.’ So she supported me, until everything changed. That was how I succeeded because I knew I had someone in the family who was there for me.
What was the general impression people had about you as a footballer?
Even till today, people don’t believe that women can play football. When I was growing up, I used to like so many things men did. I wore their clothes; it was not common then to see women in men’s clothes. I had an elder brother and I struggled with him for his clothes. When I came out, sometimes, you wouldn’t even know that I was a girl. I wanted to be like boys. I had to force myself to be like them. But thank God, the game is now very popular and I don’t think women now have to force themselves to be like boys before they can play. But that was how it was in those days. I had no resemblance of a woman. A lot of people called me Tom Boy and all sorts of names. Some even called me a hermaphrodite. There was no name I wasn’t called because they believed I was doing something unusual among women. But I loved football and I was happy playing it or even watching people play it. Even though I didn’t know where it would lead me to, I was just happy because it is a good game.
So, you didn’t dream of playing at the World Cup?
Sincerely, I started the game too early but we didn’t know FIFA would one day say, ‘Women, come and showcase your talents to the world.’ Nobody had that view about the game. We were just having fun; it was just like one of those games. We were playing games, YSFON gathered girls together and we won trophies, until FIFA came and everything changed.
Is it true that there were a lot of lesbians in the game then?
I don’t know anything about that.
How did it feel like being a pioneer member of the Super Falcons squad to FIFA’s first ever Women’s World Cup in China in 1991?
We were very young. Many of us didn’t even know what was at stake. It was our first experience and after the World Cup, we then knew that we were just starting. The other part of the world had gone far; they had a lot of experience and interest in the game. When we came back, we started working very hard because we saw the standard and knew we had to make the world standard. The first World Cup was just an eye-opener, a sort of experience for us. The coaches and players buckled up after that first outing in China.
You had a better performance four years later in Sweden, scoring goals and winning a point…
We had a four-year difference after 1991. We knew what we had was child’s play but different clubs and coaches emerged for women football. Then we had up to 30 cubs playing in the women football league in the country. There were so many competitions and sponsors. There were personal donors then. But it was really tough. However, the NFA was very committed in the second edition (of the Women’s World Cup). When we got to Sweden, the weather was not too harsh and we did better than we did in 1991. The improvement was based on the hard work of coaches and players, their commitment to the game;and the competitive nature of the women’s league. That was what made the difference.
How did you feel the first time you played outside Nigeria?
Honestly, I was highly honoured and I thanked God for everything. Like I said earlier, we were just having fun; we didn’t know where the game would take us. So I was happy to have made it at the global level. I became a star and a household name. I won a lot of awards and achieved so many things. People liked watching my game; I was in the media. I am full of praises to God and I am so happy about it.
At the 1999 World Cup, so much was expected from the team but we lost our first game 7-1 to hosts USA. What happened?
(Laughs) I think what happened was a tactical error. After we scored the first goal against the US, they came all out against us. Instead of playing with caution, we also thought that we could go further. What we could have done was to soak the pressure but we kept attacking. They had the upper hand because they were tactically and technically better than us, and the goals kept coming. After then, we knew where the problem came from and it was never so again.
The Falcons eventually got to the quarter-finals, coming back from 3-0 to lose 4-3 to Brazil courtesy of the Golden Goal…
It is the highest level women’s football has reached in Nigeria. I think the atmosphere was okay and the preparation for the competition was good. Getting to that level, the game could have gone either way. We were good but the better side came out victorious.
After then, the Falcons have not been able to cross the group stage. What do you think has been responsible for this?
I would say the competitive nature of the league has played a major role. Before this time, there were lots of competitions and many female footballers emerged. But these days, the league and FA Cup is just circulating among few clubs; maybe two or three clubs. Others are just following the trend. This is because these are the teams that have government support; they are the only teams that have financial strenght. So all the good players in the country rush to these teams. That is why for the past 10 or 15 years, only two or three teams have been winning the FA Cup for women. This is not a good development. It means these teams that have the money and can pay all the national team and good players will continue to be champions. That way, we are not discovering players and the whole team keeps circulating around the same people. In those days, when teams like Ufuoma Babes were playing the FA Cup, the National Stadium, Lagos, or Onikan Stadium would be locked by 2pm because of the crowd. But it is no longer like that these days. I think we should look into our league and teams. Every state should be encouraged to have at least a women’s football team, just like they do to the men. That would aid the discovery of new players. I first picked Asisat Oshoala and Uchechi Sunday. Nobody knew Uchechi when I went to the National Sports Festival in 2009. I saw her and picked her to the Super Falcons. People were complaining, they said she was a street player. In 2010, I picked Asisat from one of the street clubs and invited her to the Falcons. People also complained. But they were important at the 2014 U-20 Women’s World Cup, after playing for the Falcons. So, if you don’t have enough teams, you won’t discover many players. I think that is where some of our problems are in women football.
Why did you go into coaching?
I said earlier that I love everything about football; I’m a complete professional. I had a recent programme and I have extended my ability even to the men’s football. Recently, I used my links to bring FIFA-licensed agents to screen and select male players because when I walk around, I see some very good male players that should be representing the country or playing around. But they are wasting away because they don’t have money to go for trials. So what we can do is use our links so that the agents can see them. That is the extent I love the game. It’s a choice I made and it’s what I love doing.
But it seems you are now gradually deviating into men’s football…
There is no special coach for men or women. A coach is a coach. The language of football is the same. Even though I have coached Flacons, if I am called to coach the Super Eagles or any other men’s team, it won’t be a big deal. But it’s just because we believe that at that level, a man would understand a man better. Same thing goes with the women. Apart from that, the technical and tactical aspects of the game are the same. I don’t see anything wrong about anybody coaching any team. Football coaching is the same everywhere.
As first female coach of the Falcons, you led the team to their last African Women Championship title in 2010. Was it a triumph for women coaches in Nigeria?
It was not an easy feat. It was not a welcome idea for so many Nigerians seeing a woman coach the Falcons for the first time. They said, ‘How can a woman occupy such a position?’ There were lots of opposition even when we were going for the AWC. There were challenges here and there. But when I was given that assignment, I beat my chest and said, ‘I will not let my nation down.’ So, I gave my all and with the help of God and my assistants, we won. There were so many challenges but the most important thing we brought to bear on the team was discipline. Prayer was an important factor to our victory. Everywhere we went, they knew us as a prayerful and dancing team, whether things were going well or not. We made a lot of sacrifices and thank God it went well.
We haven’t won the cup ever since. What do you think has been the problem?
To get to the top is very easy but to remain there is very difficult, especially when you take things for granted. Football has no respect for anybody. If you are on top, what you need is to work harder. You don’t have to relax. The higher you go, the tougher it becomes. Many African countries are coming up and that is the main reason why we need to work harder and maintain our position in Africa.
At the 2011 Women’s World Cup, we couldn’t get past the group stage despite winning the AWC…
If you followed the Falcons, you will realise we were in the Group of Death. We had Germany, Canada and France. These are great women football nations and the Germans were hosts. If you compare the video of the games played by the Falcons in 2011 and those of 1999, you will know that the team has never played games like that before. We were super tactically and technically. That was the first time we were getting such a result against Germany. But when we made the mistake and lost to France, we lost it all.
At the 2011 World Cup you had a German as an assistant and it was reported that he earned more than you as the head coach. Is it true?
I don’t know. He didn’t show me his pay package so I wouldn’t be able to say he earned more than me or not. I didn’t see his contract papers or salary, so how would I know.
Is it right for you not to know the salary of your assistant?
It’s not my business to ask another person about his contract. He has the right to keep his contract secret or open to anybody.
You are being owed by the NFF. Has the federation made any move to pay you your money?
I don’t have any comment on that issue.
We have a lot of male coaches in female football. Do you think as a female, you can coach any of the male national teams?
Of course yes. I told you earlier that coaching is not meant specifically for men or women. What we bring in to bear is the temperament, tolerance and the rules. If I am called up to coach any of the Nigerian national teams, why won’t I do that? Same thing goes for the men. I don’t see why male or female coaches can’t coach any of the teams apart from pride. The only thing is that the women should be encourage to improve and get to the peak of their coaching careers.
Have you made any move to coach a male team?
I haven’t and I don’t intend to for now. I am still a coach and handling clubs and academies, so no problem.
As a widow, how are you coping with the kids?
My help is from God and He has been sustaining me with or without a job. He has always provided for me and I am grateful. It’s been challenging; the worst thing you can wish your enemy is for the person to become a widow. It’s not the best of experiences but God has been kind to us. He has miraculously provided for us and met our challenges.
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