Observations as Sigma CUP League Female Category Comes to an End

As the saying goes, whatever has a beginning must have an end, the 2024 Sigma League competition female category has finally come to an end. The competition saw participation of the Faculty of Arts to a significant degree as three departments from the Faculty of Arts participated in the Sigma female competition alongside other departments in other faculties and by the end of the League, only 6 teams were left, two of which were from the Faculty of Arts.

The competition had its shortcomings and excellences and this was reflected in the opinions of some players and coaches in the faculty that took part and finished the league. Apart from their observations concerning the competition, they shared their experiences during the competition as well.

ASES’ female team coach, Lawal Daniel, described the tournament experience as amazing. He added that the team (ASES) met with different teams from other faculties and they put in their best till the end of the competition. He further described the team’s performance as excellent.

Although the team, according to Lawal, had an excellent experience, they met with some difficulties due to injuries. This affected the team’s performance as a replacement player did not play the wing of the injured player. He further complained about the low turnout of their supporters, which seems to be a common problem during competitions in the Faculty. The team also experienced a lack of some essentials like water and glucose during their training and the competition itself. One could say these circumstances are the common issues faced by teams, especially female teams, in the faculty.

Commenting on the competition itself, he commended the organisers for keeping to time, but noted that there was no provision for water during the competition neither were there medals or certificates for ASES, the third place winners.

Relating her experience, Regina, a CLA forward, said “I didn’t get to enjoy the competition to the end because I was downed 10 mins into the second match by an opponent.”

She mentioned that the first match was a great experience as the referee was superb in his decisions and the Sigma media teams and other officials were friendly.

Although she commended the referee, who officiated their first match, she did not hesitate to criticise the referee who officiated the second match. “The second match, which I didn’t play till the end, started really well. Until an opponent, Solace, decided to knock me down intentionally, but sadly, the referee did not send her out of the game for such an obvious ‘deadly’ not ‘rough’ foul. Thankfully, Aniedi, the ACLAS President and the Sigma first aider helped out that day”, she narrated begrudgingly.

Even in mainstream football, the matter of fouls over inflicted injuries can be contentious and if not properly managed by the officials, can cause uproars on the field of play. Therefore, there is a need to have more than one official during female competitions. For instance, the male category of the Sigma competition had linesmen alongside the referee. Having more than one official will increase fair play during female competitions in the society.

Adding to the conversation with AFAS Press correspondence, she said, “I want people to know that the female football teams evolve every day, so football officials should not be too lenient in disciplining female players. For instance, in the first match, I was roughly tackled by the same player. She was given a yellow card for her first foul, and a red card for her second foul because it was that bad. However in the second match, with everything the player did to me, he—this time, a different referee— didn’t give her a yellow card. Apart from this, Referees should pay attention to the words uttered by coaches. After my injury, while I was resting, I heard the E.S coach shouting “Break abi injure her leg joor”. Statements such as this should not be allowed. Meanwhile, one commendable act is the equal regard teams received from the Sigma officials, they hailed every team equally,” she concluded.

The use of foul language during games should not be condoned, whether by the Coach or players themselves. It could drastically bring down the morals of the opposition. Out of excitement or anxiety, foul words or bants could be uttered, so appropriate punishment should be meted out to offenders, irrespective of the gender playing the match.

An ASES player commented on how she gained more experience from meeting with and playing against new female football teams in the University.

“Normally, we play interfaculty matches, but it was nice playing against other departments aside from the Faculty of Arts. I made new friends while at it.”

Talking about the shortcomings, she said, “I will be a little biased on this one, my department came third and we did not get any medal”.

However, she commended the organisers for having a media team, as well as planning the competition in a different way that is beyond the regular.

According to another player from CLA, the matches were great. “As for me and my team, this is the first time we are participating in a tournament outside the Faculty and I’m so glad we did. We had the opportunity to play with other teams; both strong and weak teams. Also, it gave us opportunities to learn from our mistakes.”

She added that towards the end of the tournament, the matches were rushed and it affected the players as teams had to play three matches in a week. “That made it stressful to show our ability”.

She further praised her team synergy, “We were so committed and we always encouraged ourselves. Also, we were always available to cover up for each other when a player was injured. I am happy to have participated in the tournament”

On the part of the CLA coach, Makinde Oluwadamilare, the competition was interesting, engaging and frustrating at the same time. Damilare saw the competition as a learning platform. “I have learnt more about the significance of communication and human relations”.

“Although we still have issues with inconsistency of players, the ladies are doing pretty well. Meanwhile, the low turnout of fans from the department is discouraging, especially when our opponents’ supporters are available, roaring their support. The female team has improved in terms of performance and numbers. We are privileged to have great players from different levels. They all did well. The team spirit stood out for me, it kept us going even when things were not going as planned.” Makinde concluded.

In essence, beyond competing in the Sigma competition, participants have had the privilege of broadening their horizons and garnering new experiences that will remain with them and will help them forge a brighter future individually and as teams.