By Laureta Umoh
CAF President Issa Hayatou has expressed sadness over the death of veteran Cross River born former coach of Nigeria Women’s national team, Super Falcons, Ntiero Effiom.
The trainer passed away on Wednesday, 10 September 2014, at a private clinic in Calabar, after falling ill. He was 67.
“On behalf of the CAF Executive Committee and on my own behalf, I extend my deepest condolences to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the bereaved family and the Nigerian football family. My thoughts are with you at this difficult moment,” Hayatou said.
Effiom was a recognizable figure in women’s football in Africa’s most populous country, guiding the Super Falcons to win the African Women’s Championship on home soil in 2006, and later took charge of the team the following year at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in China.
He was also at the helm of the Nigeria U-20 Women’s team, Falconets that participated at the maiden FIFA U-19 Women’s World Cup in Canada in 2002.
Locally, he is fondly remembered for his stints with Cross River Female team, Pelican Stars of Calabar where they won series of titles in the national championships.
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