2016 AWCON: Super Falcons May Boycott Tournament

Nigeria’s senior women national team, may stay away from the upcoming Africa Women Cup of Nations (AWCON) in Cameroon, over ongoing issues with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).


The players are reportedly not happy, because the federation has not paid their outstanding qualifying match allowances and bonuses.

“The players are unhappy that to date the NFF has only paid N10,000 qualifying bonuses to each of the players to enable them to travel back to their respective homes after April’s successful qualifying match against the Teranga Lionesses of Senegal in Abuja,” an unnamed source told SuperSport.

“The NFF had cited financial challenges, promising to pay their bonuses and allowances soon but that’s yet to see the light of day.

“They want all the outstanding allowances paid forthwith or they will stay away from the upcoming Africa Women Cup of Nations in Cameroon.

“They are not happy that NFF has continued to treat them as outcasts compared with the male counterparts, Super Eagles who were handsomely rewarded with Four and Five Thousand Dollars respectively for a draw and win in the failed 2017 Afcon qualifying campaign.

“They have told whoever that cares to listen that their presence in camp as well as training for the championship should not be misconstrued as weakness or evidence of their preparedness to participate in the biennial football competition.

“They said the country is in for a big shock unless the federation does the needful by quickly paying off their backlog of match bonuses.

“The players said they are ready to cooperate with the head coach, Florence Omagbemi, to successfully defend the African title but on condition that their arrears of bonuses are paid forthwith.”

The competition runs from November 19 to December 3 and the Falcons, who are the defending champions, have been pitched in Group B together with arch-rivals Ghana, Mali and newcomers Kenya.