FIFA Women’s Football Campaign ambassadors Phionah Arach and Adeke Juliet inspired young girls during the Girls’ Football Festival held on Friday at Lira P7 Primary School in Lira City.
The two ambassadors, who are active footballers, joined the young participants on the pitch, sharing their experiences and encouraging the girls to embrace football and pursue their dreams.
Arach, who plays for Rines SS WFC and represents both the Teen Cranes and Queen Cranes, is a CECAFA U-17 Girls’ Championship winner. She described her ambassadorial role as a privilege, particularly because of her connection to the community.
‘It is a privilege to be playing an ambassadorial role. I grew up from this place; this is where my journey began. I thank FUFA. I have enjoyed the experience today, and it is good to see young girls developing an interest in football at a young age,’ Arach said.
She encouraged the girls to remain committed to football and aspire to play professionally.
‘I just wish they can continue to play football and become professional players,’ she added.
For Adeke, the opportunity presented to the young girls is one that was not available to players of her generation when they started their football journeys.
The Kawempe Muslim Ladies FC goalkeeper, a six-time FUFA Women’s Super League champion and CAF Women’s Champions League CECAFA Zonal Qualifiers winner, applauded FUFA for creating opportunities that expose girls to football at an early age.
‘These are opportunities that were not available during our days. When we started playing, such opportunities did not exist. I thank FUFA for providing this opportunity for the young girls to get attracted to football at a young age,’ Adeke said.
She expressed optimism about the future of women’s football in Uganda and called for similar initiatives to be extended across the country.
‘The future is bright for women’s football. Such festivals should be extended to other regions,’ she added.
The Girls’ Football Festival is part of the FIFA Women’s Football Campaign, implemented by FUFA with support from FIFA under the FIFA Women’s Football Development Programme.
The campaign aims to increase girls’ participation in football while creating opportunities for young players to develop their skills, confidence and passion for the game.
