Maureen Mmadu, the attacking midfielder in her heyday with the Super Falcon, is still as passionate as a young love with the beautiful game of football, consequently she has pushed marriage to the backburner.
A fond admirer of Cristiano Ronaldo, Mmadu seemingly echoes the sentiments of the four-time FIFA World Player of the Year who remarked that ‘without football, my life is worth nothing’ as she glowingly speaks about her unalloyed attachment to football.
“ Yes, (I’m married to football for now),” the 42-year-old Maureen, coach of Avaldsnes IL – a First Division team based on Norway’s west coast, told The Nation with fixity of purpose.
Maureen won perpetual acclaim for hitting the centurion playing for the women’s national team as well as winning four African Women’s Nations Cup, making four appearances at FIFA Women’s World Cups and competing twice in the Summer Olympics’ Football Tournament (OFT) in Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004.
At club level, she stars for local sides including Ado Babes, Jegede Babes and Pelican Stars before travelling abroad where she earned her stripes for several teams in Norway’s Toppserien and Swedish Damallsvenskan. She has since turned her attention to coaching upon retirement from active career with Avaldsnes IL.
In a long conversation with our correspondent, Mmadu admitted her foray into coaching was fortuitous, since players and officials of Avaldsnes IL actually pushed her to the dream job.
“I didn’t know coaching was my calling until the club saw the potential in me and coupled with the encouragement from the junior players about the need for me to impart my experience in them,” remarked Mmadu, a traditional supporter of Manchester United and a fond admirer of legendary coach Sir Alex Ferguson for his incomparable work ethics during his time at the English Premier League (EPL) club.
She continued: “This made the club bought the coaching form for me and presently, I have the UEFA C license coaching certificate. I’m very happy with the decision to turn to coaching after my career and what makes coaching enjoyable is the fact that I have known more things I didn’t know before as a player, especially the tactical aspect of the game.
Mmadu is the first Nigerian women and former Super Falcons to coach a club in Europe and she described her experience so far as an eye opener, adding that she has the prerequisite to tinker the Super Falcons.
“There are so many factors to be recognised as a good coach and it includes how to manage and motivate the players; the way to map out tactics and read the opponents; how to let the players know your demand in every game, amongst other things,” she offered. “Frankly, I don’t mind if the NFF picks a foreign coach for the national team, after all I’m also a foreign coach from Nigeria in Norway.
“What I want is the choice of anybody that can bring glory to our dear land. I will be very ready to serve my father landany time I’m called upon for the job,” stated Mmadu with a patriotic fervour.
In fact, Mmadu is desirous about improvement at all levels of the society and as a brand ambassador to Norway-based Watty Energy drink, she caused the sponsorship of Nationwide League One (NLO) monthly awards, saying it was an opportunity of giving back to the society that provided her with the platform to blossom first as an international soccer star.
In this interview with MORAKINYO ABODUNRIN, Mmadu speaks about her transition from her humble beginning as a player on the domestic scene to coaching in one of Europe’s strong women professional league in Norway . Excerpts…
On coaching career abroad
The difference between Nigerian players and their European counterparts is much. The Europeans are more professional because they know what it takes and act as professionals in and out of the field; they know and understand that to whom much is given, much is equally expected. But Nigerians players don’t think like that, most are satisfied and like to be pushed around by their coaches to do this and that they don’t train very well on their own, they want the coach to tell them what to do all the times.
The Super Falcons, for instance, can be a contender for the World Cup and Olympic Games soccer titles
if we can start to be professional in our attitude and know when to train, when to rest, the type of good to eat, how to keep ourselves very fit, the type of environment to be, having good programme for the players , playing grade A matches, starting our preparations in time, amongst other things.
Flying with Super Falcons
It is true, I had a long-playing career with the Super Falcons but my first game with the national team was against Serra Leone in 1993 which we won 7-1.
I was privileged to feature in four African Women Nations Cup; the best championship for me was winning the trophy in 2002 despite all what we went through. It was a tough championship in the sense that we ate food poison before the final but God still favoured us we as came out successfully and brought the cup home.
I played very well in that competition and scored a memorable goal which I consider as the best goals in my entire career in the national team. I scored a goal outside the 18-yard box with a powerful left foot shot against Morocco. My happiest moment as a player was in 1999 when the Super Falcons qualified for the Sydney 2000 Olympics Football Tournament because I really wanted to attend all competitions before I retire. It was a thing of great joy for me after we qualified for the Olympics because I had already featured in the Africa Women’s Nations Cup and the FIFA World Cup. I have no regret at all playing football because almost all my dreams were fulfilled.
Prospect of coaching Super Falcons
It’s true that some former Super Falcons like Uche Ucheria and Florence Omagbemi have coached the national team but I’ve not because I believe when your time comes, no one will stop it; that was their time and I trust and believe God that my time will come one day to coach the Super Falcons. Frankly, I don’t mind if the NFF picks a foreign coach for the national team, after all I’m also a foreign coach from Nigeria in Norway.
What I want is the choice of anybody that can bring glory to our dear land; all I want to see is that our dear land prosper, because Nigeria is for all of us and whatever is the decision of the NFF, let’s all of us support it in order to bring glory to our dear land. Any capable coach whether a man or woman is good but the only disadvantage with a male coach is that the girls will not be open to discuss their personal problems with him; they will be shy to tell him. Of course, I will be very ready to serve my father landany time I’m called upon for the job.
Responsibilities besides coaching
I have a company that produces energy drink; it’s called Watty Energy Drink and that is my business project which I started since 2016. My company sponsored Nationwide League One with presentation of the Player of the Month and Team of the Month with a prize money of N20,000 for Player of the Month while N50,000 is for Team of the Month with a carton of Watty for player and two cartons for the team of the month because I felt it was necessary to give back to the society. I support at the grassroots too. I believe by the grace of God, I will succeed with the company because my main purpose is to help the grassroots and the society because football made me what I am today. There is a tournament in Lagos and Abia State that I also support.
My football career
I started playing football on the streets of Onitsha in Anambra State with mostly boys when I was seven and as one would expect, my mum wasn’t happy with me but my dad wanted me to play. It was tough because I was living with my mum and she told me girls don’t play football and I was the only girl of the family. It wasn’t very easy but God was with me and I told her I will do something drastic if she doesn’t allow me to play.
I found playing football very interesting from the start because when they want to share sides (for set) the boys will be dragging me to come to their side because the crowd normally comes to watch me as the only girl among the boys. Sometimes, my mum will come after me to go home but the crowd would be shouting ‘madam, please leave her to play’. But my mum would not listen while I would be crying following her.
Yes, it is true my middle name (Nkieruka )means the future is bright and I really thank God because my future has been bright by the grace of God. I started my football career with Ado babies, we played one competition in Port Harcourt where I was the highest goal scorer with 15 goals and that was where Jegede Babes picked me to play for them, after that I went to the Pelican Stars and from there, I travelled to Norway.
What else would you have done if not playing football?
I would have been a lawyer.
What is the attraction to be a lawyer?
I don’t really know but I know I don’t like injustice.
What kind of person are you; and how will you describe your personality?
I’m a shy person, very hard working. I give it all in whatever I do and I hate lazy person. I have a very good heart; I don’t like to see people cry and I hate intimidation of others. I’m also an easy going person; I joke and smile a lot. I love hard working people in whatever they do. I love children so much.
What makes you happy and sad?
Assisting and seeing people smile make me happy. I hate liars and people who are pompous.
When are you going to start raising your own family-have you met the man of your dreams?
Very soon.
What are the qualities you will be looking out for in a man?
Hmmm…no comment for now.
You are married to coaching job for now?
Yes.
Who are the coaches you like and why?
Sir Alex Ferguson, he is a good coach and a disciplinarian. He is the only coach I like.
Are you a Manchester United fan?
Yes; thebest team in the world.
How many titles have you won as a coach?
Three. I won as the captain of this great team (Avaldsnes IL) and it was a dream come through for me to win the title as a coach; I was very happy.
What kind of dress do you like to wear?
I love dressing very cute and I love both skirt and trousers suits.
What is your most preferred sport design?
My favourite sport designer is Nike.
What is the most expensive luxury item you have ever bought or received as gift?
I have bought Freelander Jeep for myself and I have received very expensive gift from a friend and another SUV for being a very hard working coach from my club.
What kinds of cars do you like and which one are you driving presently?
I also have LandRover Jeep.
Who is better between Ronaldo and Messi-and why?
Ronaldo is better because he feel he has more responsibility in delivering during every game and he gives it all while Messi feels he has other players with him, so if he doesn’t perform others will.
MAUREEN IN NUMBERS
10. Mauree Mmadu is the first Nigerian and indeed African yet to be inducted into the FIFA Women’s Century Club – an exclusive list of women who have played 100 or more A international matches for their country. She played for Super Falcons in a career spanning a period of 16 years between 1993 and 2008.
22. Number of matches she played in FIFA’s football Tournaments including four Women’s World Cup and two Olympic Football tournaments and recording 10 wins, two draws, ten losses and scoring a goal in the 3-3 draw against Canada at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Sweden 1995.
4. She featured in Four FIFA Women’s World Cup at the 1995 edition in Sweden; 1999 edition in the USA; 2003 edition in the USA and 2007 edition in Korea ; and she equally won four African Women’s Nations Cup title in 1998, 2000, 2002 and 2006.
PROFILE
Full name: Maureen Nkeiruka Mmadu.
Date of birth: May 7, 1975.
Place of birth: Onitsha, Nigeria
Height: 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Club Career: Ado Babes; Jegede Babes; Pelican Queens; IL Sandviken;Klepp IL
QBIK(2006);Linköpings FC(2007);Amazon Grimstad(2008 );Kolbotn IL(2010);Avaldsnes IL( 2011–2013).
National team career: Capped 101 with Super Falcons(1993–2009); attended four FIFA Women’s World Cups ; Two Olympics Football Tournament (Sydney 2000and Athens 2004 Summer Olympics)