In the eyes of many within the Tamale metropolis she is the benchmark for the modern day women’s football coach. An ex-player and CAF coaching license A holder Hajia Zelia Iddi is widely regarded as a mother to all female footballers in the Tamale metropolis.

Speaking to Radio Tamale sports, the chairperson for the women’s committee of the northern regional football association made known of her desire to acquire a UEFA pro license, and go on to coach a men’s football team as she believes the move will help change stakeholders perception over female coaches tactical acumen and understanding of the sport. According to her the recent up in interest in the women’s game is a sign of stakeholders coming to accept football as a unisex sports.

she however made a passionate appeal to cooperate Ghana to invest more in the women’s game as she believes the sport has the potential to produce a lot more football stars within the short to medium term. The Northern region over the last 2 years can boost of producing two female football stars in Mukarama Abdulai who began her professional playing career with women’s premier league side Northern Ladies and now of Deportivo Alaves in Spain and Salamatu Nte formerly of Bagabaga ladies.

Hajia Zelia express optimism with the right investment from stakeholders, the women’s game can break boundaries and get to a stage where females will take up coaching roles at both male and female football teams.

For her, the long lasting dream of coaching a men’s football team stems from an unquenching desire to offer young talents the best of coaching and training to propel them to greatness.