History was made on 5th September, 2019 at the College of Physicians and Surgeons in Accra when “football people” at Congress adopted the new Ghana Football Association statutes which gave four slots to women-football delegates at Congress; a welcoming news to women football investors and lovers to have a voice at the decision making level of football affairs.
The original number of 8 delegates proposed by the Ghana FA Normalization Committee was trimmed down to 4 with the conditions that among the four, at least two must be women; implying that only a women can represent women football on the Executive Council.
The Search for the Ideal Women
I took time to search for the possible and potential names that could best represent women at Congress and on the Executive Council.
Since women football has serious and numerous problems that need addressing, it is very important to have candidates who have the best interest of the game at heart. Obviously, women must be represented by strong, bold, brave, ferocious and visionary personalities.
•Habiba Atta
The first name that pops up on my mind is Madam Habiba Atta, known in the football sector as the mother of Women’s football in the country. Habiba remains the key player in the inauguration of Women’s football in the country. She owns one of the oldest and most successful women’s football club in the country, Fabulous Ladies which has produced many players for all the female national teams in the country.
The Kumasi-based female football guru is an architect of professional women football in Ghana.
She is the brain behind competitive women soccer in Ghana and a former management member of Asante Kotoko.
She has not only been in women football as she is on record to have coached some of the current top male coaches in the country now including former Kotoko defender and coach – Frimpong Manso – during his senior high school days to become a great player in Ghana from Neoplan stars to Cornerstone to Asante Kotoko and Black Stars.
Ghana does not only owe her for her magnificent output in the game but Madam Habiba Atta also introduced the name ‘Black Queens’ for the senior women national football team in 1989.
In her youthful age,she was the Queen of track and field .Her enviable record in sports dates back from her school days at T.I. Ahmadiyya Senior High School,where she set several records as an athlete.She participated in almost all the athletics disciplines-runner, high jumper, triple jumper, javelin,discus and shot put.
The veteran football administrator has her name in the records books of all African games in the 1960s. She was nicknamed ‘One woman Contingent’ when Ghana went for Athletics tournaments.
Her history in sports is a clear definition of sports in her DNA and her achievement with Fabulous Ladies is enough to make her a better representative for women on the Ghana FA Executive Council.
- Other Likely candidates
Notwithstanding her rich track record,madam Habiba Atta will have to battle three strong other women for the position on EXCO.Former vice chairperson of the women’s league board,Madam Roselind Amoh,former Black Queens welfare officer,Madam Evelyn Nsiah Asare and madam Edna Quargraine, former Black Queens assistant coach.
Vetting for the aspirants is scheduled for September Tuesday October 1, 2019 with the elections slated for October 25.
When the timing is right, we shall know who wins what at EXCO….
@ayeesha_ayi on Twitter and Ayishatu Zakaria Ali on Facebook