July 07, (THEWILL) – Nigeria’s women’s national football team, the Super Falcons, are considering boycotting their opening game of the FIFA 2023 Women’s World Cup, in protest against the cancellation of their match bonuses by the Nigeria Football Federation.
The decision was made, following a meeting among senior players including captain, Onome Ebi and star striker, Asisat Oshoala, after the NFF’s General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, announced the cancellation of their bonuses. The players were informed that FIFA had already allocated each participant $30,000 for the group stage, therefore, the NFF decided to withhold the match bonuses and the 30% share of the $1.56 million FIFA grant allocated to member associations.
The Super Falcons are, therefore, determined to press for their demands and are prepared to miss their first game against Canada on July 21 as part of their protest. The female national team has a history of bonus disputes during international tournaments because of the NFF’s previous attitude of unwillingness to pay. In 2004, they refused to return home after winning the WAFCON, demanding payment of their bonuses first. Similarly, in 2016, after winning the WAFCON in Cameroon, they staged a sit-in protest in Abuja to demand payment of $16,500 to each player. In the 2019 World Cup, striker, Desire Oparanozie, was stripped of her captaincy and removed from the team after leading a bonus protest.
As THEWILL reported last year, the squad boycotted training sessions ahead of their WAFCON third-place match against Zambia due to the same issue. The players argue that they have been subjected to mistreatment and injustice for a long time and are determined to put an end to it. The players deny allegations that American coach Randy Waldrum instigated the protest, stating that they have been fighting for their cause before he joined the team.
The Super Falcons are planning to stage a protest before the start of the Women’s World Cup to draw attention to their grievances and the mistreatment they claim to have endured. The players believe that their treatment is discriminatory and are determined to ensure that they are not shortchanged this time. They are demanding fair treatment and the payment of their match bonuses. The Nigeria Football Federation’s President, Ibrahim Gusau, and General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, are yet to react to the issue.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
