THE Governor of Benue State Hyacinth Alia has rewarded Francesca Ordega with cash and property for being part of the Super Falcons of Nigeria squad that won the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco in July.
Ordega was one of the 24 players in the Super Falcons squad as they defeated hosts Morocco in the final to clinch a record-extending 10th WAFCON title.
Governor Alia hosted a dinner at the government house, Makurdi last night to celebrate the Benue-born forward, announcing she would receive N50m, a three-bedroom in Makurdi, and have a street named after her.
Although Ordega hardly featured in Morocco, Alia commended her for her outstanding performance and encouraged talented young girls to emulate her resilience.
The governor also awarded N10m to the coach who discovered Ordega in Benue before she became a star.
“Today, we are singing the nation’s common song of victory with one of us,” Alia said.
“With the one whom God has chosen and elected to represent us. The one who has been the great ambassador of this state in sports in the last five victories of the WAFCON.
“She is truly an inspiration to everyone. She is an inspiration to all the young ladies coming up to play. I invite parents to allow their daughters to get into the field.
“Here is a great shining example of once you allow them, guide them, and they are coached, tomorrow we shall all go to the national and come back to the state to celebrate them.
“I want all of us to encourage our young ladies to do sports.”
The 31-year-old Saudi Arabia-based Ordega, who has now won five WAFCON titles with the Super Falcons, expressed gratitude for the support from the state and the federal government, who earlier gave the players $100,000 and an apartment in Abuja each.
Ordega had earlier visited the emergency camp of victims of the Yelwata attack located at the International Market, Makurdi, where she donated items.
“Let’s support sports development. Let’s invest in sports infrastructure, training programmes, and talent identification initiatives by providing our young athletes with the resources they need,” she said.
“We can actually harness the next generation of champions and promote education. Education is the foundation of any prosperous society.
“We can create scholarship programmes for young girls who excel in sports directly by ensuring that they have access to quality education while pursuing their dreams.”