Nigeria’s Super Falcons demand full bonus
Football
By
The Standard
| Dec 09, 2016
Nigeria’s women’s team has refused to leave a hotel in Abuja until they are paid allowances and bonuses for winning the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
The Super Falcons, who clinched their eighth African title on Saturday with a 1-0 win over hosts Cameroon, are protesting over the Nigeria Football Federation’s failure to pay them US$17,150 (Sh1.7m) per player for their success.
It is alleged the NFF had also pledged to pay outstanding allowances for qualifying and their win bonuses (US$6,500) before the start of the competition.
One of the players told BBC Sport that their sit-in at the Agura hotel in the capital will not end until they receive all bonuses, which totals US$23,650 (Sh2.3m) per player.
“We are not leaving this hotel and we have not been told exactly when we are going to get paid,” the player, who insisted on anonymity, told BBC Sport.
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“The plan is to stay here until we all receive the money because the moment we leave there will be no opportunity to get it again.” The Super Falcons’ protest began on Tuesday.
“We are tired of the lies and false promises from the NFF,” one player, who insisted on anonymity, told BBC Sport.
“They told us we would be paid before the tournament in Cameroon, but that never happened.
“We continued playing and now we are owed additional allowances and bonuses for winning the competition itself.”
The NFF, which receives direct funding from government, is in dire straits after Nigeria slipped into recession in August for the first time in more than a decade.
Since March, Super Falcons coach Florence Omagbemi and her assistants have only received a month’s salary.
The NFF has said in a statement that its general secretary Mohammed Sanusi met with the players and officials at the Agura Hotel on Tuesday.
“The NFF is not happy owing players and coaches, but present severe economic challenges inform that it can only continue to seek the understanding of these persons, as well as hoteliers, travel agents, management and staff until the situation improves,” Sanusi said in a statement.
“All organisations, whether government or private, are feeling the pinch.”