Lagos –  Henrietta Ukaigwe, President, Female Football Interest Group (FFIG), has decried the neglect of female football and called on  the government and corporate bodies to support the sector.

Ukaigwe on Wednesday said that female football had begun losing its glamour because of lack of support from the government and corporate bodies.

“The female football league was last sponsored in 2002, which is bad for the marketing and reputation of female football; the girls are clamouring to be recognised by the government,” she said.

Ukaigwe argued that if equal attention was accorded the female team like their male counterparts, female football would attain glorious height.

“Everywhere you turn to, all we hear is the Super Eagles; we are going for the FIFA Women’s World Cup slated in Germany and we hardly hear people talk about it.

“This shows that the level of marketing, awareness and sponsorship of female football is low, but we will be surprised at the length these girls would go to bring honour to the country,” she said.

The FFIG president also suggested the formulation of a policy that would guide the conduct of football clubs, adding that currently many of them were being run without any guidelines.

“I realise that most of the club owners want to take girls off the street, they are usually not buoyant as they seem, so the clubs goes into extinction and the girls are back to zero point,” she said.

Ukaigwe also expressed confidence in the Super Falcons ability to succeed at the Women’s World Cup, despite being in the “group of death’’.

The Women’s World Cup is scheduled for June 26 to July 17 in Germany and Nigeria is in Group A alongside Germany, France and Canada

The FFIG is non-governmental organisation established in 1997 to promote the interest of female players. (NAN)