By Amaechi Agbo
Nigeria’s senior female national football team the Super Falcons have boycotted training ahead of their Friday’s scheduled third-place match against Zambia in the ongoing Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, WAFCON in Morocco
The Randy Waldrum led ladies on Monday lost their semi-final match against host Morocco on 4-5 penalty shootout.
The team which arrived Casablanca on Tuesday ahead of their Friday match have reportedly refused to training due to accumulated match bonuses.
According Osasu Obayiuwaana a BBC reported, he claimed that the players refused to train on Monday morning adding that the federal ministry of youth and sports as well as the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF have refused to pay them their mat j bonuses since the competition started on July 2nd.
“Breaking: The @NGSuper_Falcons #TeamNigeria boycotted training this morning, ahead of their #WAFCON2022 third-place match against #TeamZambia @Copper_Queens. Do I need to state the reason? Wahala don come, as predicted…
“I received a call from an @thenff exco member, complaining that the @NigeriaFMYS, headed by @SundayDareSD, is yet to pay any bonuses to the @NGSuper_Falcons for the #WAFCON campaign in Morocco.
“The players have not received one penny of the bonuses due to them at this tournament. The @NigeriaFMYS has not given us a dime for them. The minister, @SundayDareSD, has not said a word to us. The girls have not complained and have given everything here,” the person alleged.
“No one should take these girls for granted, even though they have not complained. No one should be surprised when there is a strong reaction. These girls know their rights & they won’t take this for too long. The right thing should be done, before they react,” Obayiuwaana quoted unnamed source
However, in a swift reaction, the minister of youth and sports development, Sunday Dare said the approved budget for Super Falcons at the ongoing Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco would have been released had the Nigeria Football Federation NFF submitted the budget earlier
The minister in a media parley in Abuja revealed that the budget was submitted two weeks ago which caused the delay in the release of government financial support to execute the tournament . He added that the Federal Government immediately approved the funds when it reached their table.
“We ‘ve been able to work with the finance ministry to make sure that fund (for AWCON) is released on time. Sunday Dare told journalists in Abuja
He added, “The NFF released the letters for the Women AFCON just two weeks. It is not going to be easy to get money out of this system in just two weeks.
“And because of the president love for sports development and even football we knew how we got approval for NFF within two weeks. So, to say government has not released any money maybe the outstanding approvals are there but I know that billions have been released though it might not cover all the outstanding but certain money have been released. When these money are released they don’t come to us it goes directly to the coffers of the federation, the documents are there, they also have to spread the resources they have in order to see sports as business.
Nigeria will take on debutants, Zambia in the third-place match on Friday with the winner going home with bronze medal. Super Falcons lost 4-5 on penalties to host, Morocco on Monday in one of the semi-final matches thus ending their dream for 10th WAFCON title.
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