The Super Falcons, Africa’s most successful women’s national football team, are drawing global attention due to the ongoing bonus disputes with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
In response to the persistent financial disagreements with the national football governing body and its refusal to disburse FIFA’s $960,000 (₦816,000,000) prize fund allocated to each participating country at the World Cup, the International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPRO) has issued a statement on its official website. FIFPRO pledges to intervene in the crisis and ensure that the players receive the rightful bonuses owed to them.
The released statement from FIFPRO reads, “Following the Nigeria women’s national team’s elimination from the FIFA Women’s World Cup, FIFPRO can confirm it is assisting players in a disagreement with the Nigeria Football Federation concerning bonus payments, camp allowances and expenses, some of which date back to 2021.”
“During the World Cup, the players expressed the desire to remain focused on their performance without making public statements or facing other distractions.”
“The team is extremely frustrated that they have had to pursue the Nigeria Football Federation for these payments before and during the tournament and may have to continue doing so afterwards. It is regrettable that players needed to challenge their own federation at such an important time in their careers.”
“FIFPRO will continue to work with the players to ensure their contractual rights are honoured and the outstanding payments are settled.”
This is not the first time the Super Falcons have been embroiled in financial disputes with the Nigeria Football Federation. Similar issues arose in 2004 and during the previous World Cup in France in 2019. The team staged a sit-in protest after their exit from the second round against Germany. A similar situation occurred during last year’s Women’s African Cup of Nations when the players refused to train before their third-place match against Morocco.
Nigeria’s Super Falcons hold the record as the most decorated women’s team in Africa, having secured the African title nine times and participated in all nine Women’s World Cup tournaments.
Ikenna Okafor
