World football governing body FIFA, yesterday released a statement postponing the November scheduled under 17 women world cup till February 2021.
Coach of the Flamingos of Nigeria, Olowokere Bankole has reacted to the postponement of FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup which scheduled to hold in this year in India will now hold on 2021 February 17. The postponement is due to the wild spread of the corona virus that is ravaging the world now.
The coach, in an interview with Journalists in Lagos, expresses his pleasure in the way the tournament was moved forward. He said that the postponement was necessary to avoid the spread of the disease and this move will save lives of the players and those of the coaches as well, not forgetting the spectators from contracting the novel corona virus disease. “I welcome the postponement of the tournament because presently the covid-19 is still killing many people in various countries of the world” the coach said.
He further said that life is first and the players are very young to be exposed to that kind of danger, couple with the fact that it gives teams the opportunity to prepare well for the tournament. “What we need to look at is the safety and lives of these young players not the tournament itself.
“Secondly the postponement will also give room for some countries to prepare better for their qualifying matches” he said.
16 teams would be expected to feature in the tournament with hosts,India being automatic qualification. It will be Indian’s maiden appearance in the U-17 women World Cup but no thanks to the fast growing infection rate of the covid19 as it has infected more than three million people around the world.
