Sports: Ordega Launches Football Clinic to Empower Young Female Players in Benue

Nigeria’s professional footballer and Super Falcons star, Francisca Ordega, has launched a football clinic in Makurdi, Benue State, aimed at discovering and nurturing young female football talents.

The initiative, organised by the Francisca Ordega Foundation, took place at the McCarthy Stadium, Makurdi, and featured intensive coaching and technical sessions facilitated by Ordega alongside some of her international teammates, including Super Falcons defender, Ashley Plumptre.

The two-day football clinic was designed to empower young female players aged between 14 and 18, while also providing capacity-building opportunities for local coaches. The programme was held in collaboration with Al-Ittihad Football Club of Saudi Arabia, underscoring its international outlook and technical depth.

Over one hundred participants drawn from different parts of Benue State took part in the clinic, expressing excitement and gratitude for what many described as a rare opportunity to learn directly from established international football stars.

Speaking at the event, Ordega, who hails from Benue State, described the clinic as a personal commitment to giving back to society and promoting the growth of female football at the grassroots. She noted that the initiative was inspired by her own journey, having risen through the ranks without access to such structured opportunities in her formative years.

According to her, the foundation seeks to bridge the gap in female football development by exposing young girls to quality training, mentorship and international best practices, while also encouraging coaches to improve their technical capacity.

The clinic culminated in a charity football match, where Charity Academy Football Club defeated Invincible Angels FC by a lone goal to emerge champions, bringing the event to a colourful close.

The football clinic is expected to serve as a springboard for sustained grassroots football development in Benue State, while reinforcing the role of sports as a tool for youth empowerment and social development.