…as Sunshine Queens’ Etim, Victory join Nigeria’s U-20 squad
By Femi Atolagbe
Ondo State’s renewed investment in football development has received a major boost after Sunshine Queens goalkeeper Bright Etim and defender Lucky Victory were named in Nigeria’s final squad for the forthcoming FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland.
Their selection marks a significant moment for the Akure-based club and provides a strong early indication that the state government’s push to strengthen grassroots football and create pathways for young talent is beginning to yield results.
The duo’s emergence on the international stage is also a notable milestone in the history of Sunshine Queens, particularly for Nigerian players, and underscores the growing importance of the Ondo State Football Agency (ODSFA) in the state’s football development programme.
The agency, under the leadership of Divine Ogbonnaya, has renewed its focus on talent identification, player development and the rebuilding of structures designed to help promising footballers progress from the domestic game to the international stage.
For Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the inclusion of Sunshine Queens players in Nigeria’s World Cup squad represents a tangible outcome of his administration’s football development vision.
Rather than viewing football solely as entertainment, the administration has positioned the sport as a vehicle for youth development, opportunity and global representation for young people from Ondo State.
The achievement is particularly significant against the backdrop of Sunshine Queens’ previous World Cup representation.
Available records show that Cameroonian goalkeeper Isabelle Mambingo, then registered with the Akure club, was included in Cameroon’s 23-player squad for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France.
Etim and Victory’s selection now gives Sunshine Queens another presence on football’s biggest international stage and highlights the potential of sustained investment in the development of home-grown talent.
Under Ogbonnaya, ODSFA has sought to create a more structured environment for young players to identify, develop and progress their careers. The emergence of Etim and Victory provides an early, visible measure of what that approach can achieve.
Their selection is therefore more than a personal triumph. It is also a statement about the possibilities created when talent development is backed by deliberate policy, investment and football structures.
For Ondo State, the journey from Akure to the global stage could become a model for a new generation of footballers aspiring to represent Nigeria.
With Etim and Victory now set to carry the Sunshine Queens name into the World Cup, the state’s football development project has gained an important international milestone and a reminder that its investment in the game is beginning to produce results.