FIFA picks Mercy Akide-Udoh for symposium

WORLD football governing body, FIFA, has invited Nigeria’s legend, Mercy Akide-Udoh, to the sixth FIFA Women’s Football Symposium taking place in Vancouver, Canada between Friday, July 3 and Sunday, July 5, 2015.

Akide-Udoh, who played for Nigeria at the 1995, 1999 and 2003 FIFA Women’s World Cup finals, is one of FIFA’s 15 Ambassadors for women’s football.

A graceful striker in her days, Mercy also played for Nigeria at the Women’s Football Tournament of the 2000 and 2004 Olympics in Australia and Greece respectively, and was the first African Woman Player of the Year in 2002.

She played professionally for San Diego Spirit and Hampton Roads Piranhas in the US, was voted into the USL Hall of Fame and holds a USSF National Youth Coaching Certificate.

She will attend the three–day symposium at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Vancouver and will also be a special guest of the world body at the final match of the 7th FIFA Women’s World Cup taking place at the BC Place, Vancouver on Sunday, July 5.

NFF President Amaju Pinnick has also been specially invited by FIFA to attend the symposium, which has the objective of outlining fresh development strategies for women’s football across the globe.

Among the topics for discussion at the symposium are “Women in Football,” “Powerplay: Giving African women and girls a voice through the sport of football,” and “The business side of the game. ”