Super Falcons Boycott Training in Morocco over Bonus Row

Duro Ikhazuagbe 

In what has become a recurring story, Nigeria’s Super Falcons embarked on another boycott of training yesterday in Casablanca, Morocco ahead of their WAFCON 2022 third-place match with Zambia on Friday.

The nine-time African champions lost their bid for a 10th title to hosts Morocco on in a dramatic semi final that witnessed the sending off of two Nigerian players before the Atlas Lionesses won 5-4 in penalty shootouts. Regulation and extra time ended one all.

But after playing from the group stage to the last four stage without getting the about $10,000 each of the players was entitled to, they had no other choice but resort to boycott of training to press home their demands. Falcons were entitled to $3,000 apiece  for the victories over Botswana, Burundi and Cameroon.

The players boycotted training on Wednesday evening, prompting officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to act swiftly in order to prevent another strike before the match against Zambia on Friday.

“The players have refused to leave their hotel in Casablanca over unpaid bonuses,” a top NFF official told BBC Sport Africa.

“There is also an issue over the unpaid first five days of camp, which the players expected in their bank accounts but has not arrived.”

The financially-stricken NFF, which receives its funding from the Nigerian government and sponsors from Corporate Nigeria, has made a $1,000 payment to each player  to cover their 10 days’ allowance.

NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, told BBC Sport Africa in Morocco yesterday that his federation is “dealing with the issue” – but funds need to come from the country’s Federal Ministry of Sports before any payment can be made.

A special adviser to the Minister of Sports, Sunday Dare, said the “issues are being resolved” and the team has received verbal assurances that they will be paid.

“The issues are being resolved and the NFF has assured the team they will get all that is due them,” Toyin Ibitoye stressed.

“The sports ministry has presented NFF’s request for financial intervention to the relevant quarters and it is receiving urgent attention.

“The processes for receiving funds from the government take time and the team now understands this. Both the ministry and NFF are working to ensure things move at a faster pace.

It is not the first time players of Africa’s most successful women’s side have protested over unpaid bonuses.

The Super Falcons have twice been involved in sit-in protests in hotels at previous WAFCONs.

The first came in South Africa in 2004after they won the title, with another in 2016 in Abujaafter claiming their eighth continental crown in Cameroon.

At the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France, the players staged another sit-in protest over unpaid salaries and bonusesafter their Round of 16 elimination by Germany.