Bonus Dispute: Falcons Express Concerns Over Compensation, NFF Maintains Payments Made
Forty-three days after the 2023 Women’s World Cup concluded in Australia and New Zealand, tensions between the Nigeria Football Federation and the Super Falcons escalated. The players voiced their dissatisfaction, claiming they had been treated unfairly due to unpaid bonuses and allowances spanning several years.
Before the FIFA Women’s World Cup began, an exclusive report by The PUNCH revealed that the Nigerian women's team had threatened to boycott their opening match. Eventually, they reached an agreement with the NFF, securing a $100 daily camp allowance, a $3,000 win bonus, and a $1,500 bonus for a draw. FIFA later announced that each player at the tournament would receive a minimum of $30,000.
Despite these agreements, The Athletic reported that the players alleged they had received less than half of their daily camp wages and had not received any match bonuses from the NFF. One player expressed their frustration, stating, "They don't treat us as if we are here to play for our country — they treat us as if we are slaves."
Another player emphasized their commitment to the country rather than the federation, saying, "We're not playing for the federation; we're playing for ourselves, playing for our country, playing for our families. We love football, we have a passion for it... and that passion is what gives us that drive."
In response, NFF Head of Communications, Ademola Olajire, stated that FIFA had not yet disbursed the promised World Cup funds to the federation but clarified that all daily allowances for the World Cup had been paid. He also mentioned that bonuses owed to the players before the World Cup had been settled. Olajire assured that the players would receive their World Cup player allocation money once FIFA transferred the funds.
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