Ordega Foundation/Al-Ittihad FC Female Football Clinic: Planting Seeds of Opportunity for Benue’s Next Generation

For two days, the familiar turf of McCarthy Stadium in Makurdi came alive with more than drills and goalposts. It became a meeting point for dreams, discipline and the growing belief that young girls from Benue State can rise to the global stage of women’s football.

That belief anchored the just-concluded Ordega Foundation/Al-Ittihad FC Female Football Clinic, a collaborative initiative between the Francisca Ordega Foundation and Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ittihad FC, which ended with promises of opportunities for aspiring female footballers.

Founded by Nigerian international football star Francisca Mlumun Ordega, OON, the two-day clinic ran from Sunday, January 4 to Monday, January 5, 2025, drawing over 100 young female players and local coaches to Makurdi for intensive training, mentorship and cultural exchange.

Targeting players aged 14 to 18, the programme went beyond routine football practice. Participants were exposed to modern football techniques, tactical awareness and professional standards under the guidance of Super Falcons stars, including Ordega herself and her national teammate, Ashleigh Plumptre.

According to the Foundation, the clinic is part of a wider vision to strengthen women’s football in Nigeria by creating structured pathways for young girls to develop, compete and showcase their talents at higher levels.

Speaking through a statement at the close of the clinic, Ordega expressed profound gratitude to partners, supporters, international guests and followers of the Foundation around the world, describing the turnout and reception as overwhelming.

“We look forward to bigger opportunities,” the statement read, adding that the Foundation would not relent in its commitment to making Benue State, the Middle Belt and Nigeria at large a hub for female footballers.

Beyond the drills and tactical sessions, the clinic also highlighted the power of sport as a bridge between cultures. Plumptre, who plays alongside Ordega at both the Super Falcons and Al-Ittihad FC, immersed herself in local Tiv traditions, participating in a Swange dance while dressed in the traditional Tiv A’nger attire.

The Foundation noted that the cultural exchange reinforced the clinic’s goal of promoting sports tourism and community engagement, while strengthening bonds between international athletes and local communities.

Vancouver Ter Alam, who spoke during the event, said Ordega was "overwhelmed with the turnout and reception," describing the clinic as both inspiring and impactful for the participants.

The football clinic reached its climax with the grand finale of the second edition of the Francisca Ordega Foundation Female Soccer Competition, where Charity Academy FC, Gboko, edged Invincible Angels FC, Gboko, 1-0 to lift the trophy.

As the final whistle blew and medals were handed out, what lingered was more than a result, it was the sense that, for many of the girls on the pitch, the journey had only just begun.