Chinasa Ukandu Praises High Standard of Women’s Football at AddBrand Cup 2025

Former Super Falcons star Chinasa Mandy Ukandu has commended the quality of play at the 2025 AddBrand Cup, saying the standard of the women’s contest was exceptionally high.

Ukandu, now a youth coach and grassroots developer, was speaking ahead of the tournament’s final day, insisting that the competition is one of the most important for identifying and nurturing future female talent.

As head coach of CATS Ladies FC, based in Surulere, Lagos, she highlighted how AddBrand Cup provides a vital platform for young female players to showcase their skills and gain exposure.

She also emphasised the role of such tournaments in building pathways to more advanced levels of women’s football in Nigeria, pointing out that many of the competitors have the potential to progress to professional clubs or national youth teams.

Reflecting on her own experience as an elite player, Ukandu said she understands the importance of structured grassroots competitions. “There needs to be consistency in these tournaments so that we can truly develop our girls,” she remarked.

She called on stakeholders sponsors, government bodies, and football administrators to support AddBrand Cup and similar initiatives more consistently, noting that they are indispensable to the long-term growth of women’s football in Nigeria.

Editorial

Chinasa Ukandu’s endorsement of the AddBrand Cup in 2025 should not be dismissed as routine praise. On the surface, it may appear as a former player glorifying a grassroots competition. But the clarity of her message reveals a profound urgencynot just for more tournaments, but for a cultural shift in how Nigerian football cultivates, respects, and invests in its young female stars.

Ukandu’s journey  from wearing the Super Falcons’ colours to developing future talents in Surulere  lends her observation weight. She is not speaking out of nostalgia, but from a place of stewardship. Her words about the “exceptional standard” on display are not merely generous they are diagnostic. She sees what many casual observers might miss: raw ability, tactical awareness, and a hunger in the participants that mirrors her own playing days.

The AddBrand Cup, in her vision, is more than a seasonal spectacle. It is a crucible for transformation. Ukandu understands that talent alone is not enough. Without structured opportunities and sustained support, young players risk stagnating or being swallowed by the systemic challenges that have long dogged women’s football here.

Yet she does not simply call for more games. She calls for consistency, for investment, for a strategic roadmap. And she issues a subtle but powerful reminder it is not just about discovering talent, but about nurturing it. The tournament’s value lies not only in its current form, but in its capacity to become a pipeline—a bridge between grassroots potential and national prominence.

If stakeholders listen, and if the AddBrand Cup becomes more than a once-off event, then Ukandu’s praise may well translate into progress. For her, this is not just about competition. It is about legacy.

Did You Know?

1. Kate’s Coaching Role After her playing career, Chinasa Ukandu became head coach of CATS Ladies FC, a women’s football club based in Surulere, Lagos.
2. Grassroots Initiator Ukandu was a founding member of the Help The Talent Project (HTTP), an initiative aimed at helping young footballers (especially girls) develop through structured grassroots programmes.
3. International Development Tools She has participated in multiple youth-football development programmes, including Premier Skills and Debate to Action.
4. Falconets Contribution As a coach, Ukandu has helped produce players who were called up to Nigeria’s U-20 women’s national team, the Falconets.
5. Funding Advocate Ukandu has publicly appealed to corporate sponsors to support women’s grassroots football in Nigeria, emphasizing that financial backing is crucial for sustainable development.