As part of its determination to improve the development of women football around the world, the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA), has added Under -18 World Cup championship to its growing list of Championships.

The first ever age grade women championship billed to debut in Ghana in 2002, would bring to three, the number of female football competitions on the calendar of the world football authority.

Before now, the female world championship remained the only FIFA female organised football competition which was first staged in China in 1991 and the Female Football event of the Olympics Games which became a medal event in 1996 during the Atlanta Olympic Games.

Chairman of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA), Brigadier General Dominic Oneya (rtd) who confirmed this in Lagos over the weekend, stated that the decision to organise the championship is FIFA's reaction to the growing popularity of female football around the world.

According to Oneya, who just returned from Rome, Italy, where he received FIFA's award to Nigeria as the biggest mover on its monthly rankings this year, said the Confederation of African (CAF) would orgainse its preliminary matches for the African Zone next year to pick Africa's representatives to the global fiesta.

Oneya said as a leader in women football in the continent, NFA is making plans which would ensure that Nigeria presented one of the best team that would represent Africa creditably during the world finals.

He added that already, the Football House in Abuja has concluded plans to organize the first ever age grade female football competition next year, stressing that talents discovered during the competition would form the nucleus of future Falcons.

With this development, the Female Football Department of the soccer ruling body has been directed by the Secretary General Dr. Tijani Yusuf, to commence immediate scouting exercise during the just concluded Pepsi Female Super League and the Challenge Cup finals kicking off Wednesday in Lagos and penciled down talents who would be invited for camping ahead of the World Cup next year.