One of Nigeria’s best female footballers, Vera Okolo, known for scoring the only goal that secured Nigeria’s first and only victory over Japan at the senior level, retired from active football a few years ago. After her retirement, she transitioned into coaching, obtaining her diploma from the National Institute for Sports, followed by a CAF C license.
In a conversation with Jacob Ajom, the former Super Falcons star shared her insights on various topics, including her national team exploits, the challenges facing the senior women’s national team, and potential solutions to reverse the current decline.
On Completing the CAF C Coaching Course:
“How was your experience with the CAF C coaching course?”
“It was fine. Slightly different from the one we had at NIS. This is an upgraded course.”
Future Aspirations:
“Where will this take you?”
“I have actually been waiting for this for the past eight years, since I finished at NIS in 2015. I hoped that a year or two after, I would get my CAF C license. Unfortunately, I was stuck in Nigeria. We keep learning; it’s a new chapter in my life and my career as a coach. As I transitioned from playing to coaching, this is another chapter altogether as a coach.”
From Player to Coach:
“You started from the grassroots to clubs and then to the national team. How would you summarize your journey from being a player to a coach?”
“It wasn’t easy, although it was expected because before you get to the top, you must go through many hurdles. From the grassroots, it wasn’t easy because in my area, there weren’t many girls playing football. Initially, I started playing with boys, so when I eventually got the chance to play with girls, I didn’t find it difficult.”
Early Career:
“After emerging from the grassroots, which club did you first play for?”
“Remember, we didn’t have the Premier League then; instead, we had Divisions One and Two. I played with a Division Two club in the qualifiers to go to Division One. The club was Fast Focus Football Club of Warri in 1999, from where we qualified for Division One in 2000. In 2001 and 2002, I played with Bayelsa Queens, and in 2003, I joined Delta Queens.”
“While still at Fast Focus FC in 2000, I had the fortune to play with an Ondo State U17 team that represented Nigeria in the U17 Umbro International Football Festival in London. Although I didn’t take part in the qualifiers, there were players from Akure in Fast Focus who did. When it was time for them to travel, officials from Akure came looking for them, and my chairman then recommended me to join them for the trip, which they accepted.”