The Super Falcons are preparing to go on strike and skip their opening match of the 2023 Women’s World Cup after learning that the Nigeria Football Federation had revoked their match bonuses for the event, according to Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, general secretary of the federation.
Six senior players, including captain Onome Ebi, Rasheedat Ajibade, Asisat Oshoala, Ohale Osinachi, Tochukwu Oluehi, and Desire Oparanozie, held a lengthy discussion after Sanusi’s declaration upon their arrival at the Mercure Resorts, Gold Coast, according to a camp source.
“We are going ahead to press for our demands,” a senior player told Newsmen. “We are ready to go as far as missing our first game against Canada July 21 because this has to stop.
“On Wednesday night, we held a meeting where we agreed that we were going to find out if what we were asking for is legitimate, and that if it’s legitimate, we will press for our demands. It was what was agreed. The next meeting will be after we get the information we need and then the protest will start.”
Continuing, “The General Secretary came for the meeting clutching so many papers; he told us that we won’t be paid match bonuses at the World Cup because FIFA had already given each player $30,000 for the group stage. He also said we won’t get 30 per cent from the $1,560,000 FIFA would give the NFF.
“We were shocked, team morale went down immediately because we couldn’t believe what the man was saying.”
“Since the federation is treating us like this, we have decided to stage a protest before the competition begins, so that the whole world will know what we are passing through. We can’t keep suffering and smiling.
