NFF Says Super Falcons Won’t Get Paid By FIFA TIll After 2023 Women’s World Cup

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Wednesday, said the country’s Super Falcons team will not receive their pay until the end of the ongoing 2023 Women’s World Cup tournament hosted by New Zealand and Australia.

NFF Director of Communications, Ademola Olajire disclosed in an interview with newsmen.

According to him, the viral reports that FIFA has paid NFF the World Cup prize were not true.

He added that the procedure is that the money is paid after the final of the tournament.

“We (NFF) have not received any money from FIFA for this ongoing World Cup. It will be after the final. This is because as things stand, nobody can determine the rank of the team in the tournament. It is after the final that FIFA will be able to determine which team comes first, second, and third place,” he said.

This clarification by NFF comes after the International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPRO) on Tuesday declared its readiness to assist Super Falcons to recover their unpaid entitlements from the country’s football federation.

FIFPRO stated its readiness to assist the Falcons in a statement issued less than 24 hours after the team crashed out of the ongoing world cup tournament.

The organisation said the payment of the entitlements by the NFF to the female players was long overdue.

It also commended the Falcons for putting the issues surrounding the payment of their owed bonuses behind them and displaying a top-notch performance at the global tournament.

The statement reads: “Following the Nigeria women’s football team’s elimination from the FIFA Women’s World Cup, FIFPRO can confirm it is assisting players in a disagreement with the Nigeria Football Federation concerning bonus payments, camp allowances, and expenses, some of which date back to 2021.

“During the World Cup, the players expressed the desire to remain focused on their performance without making public statements or facing other distractions.

“However, the Super Falcons believe that it is now time for the Nigeria Football Federation to honour their commitments and pay the outstanding amounts.

“The team is extremely frustrated that they have had to pursue the Nigeria Football Federation for these payments before and during the tournament and may have to continue doing so afterwards. It is regrettable that players needed to challenge their own federation at such an important time in their careers.

“FIFPRO will continue to work with the players to ensure their contractual rights are honoured and the outstanding payments are settled.”

Reports say the Falcons in 2022 reportedly boycotted training due to unpaid bonuses ahead of their #WAFCON2022 third-place match against the Copper Queens of Zambia in Morocco.

It was gathered that “the female national team players failed to show up for their training to protest the non-payment of some of their entitlements.”

Kanyi Daily reported that England trashed Nigeria 4-2 on penalties on Monday to reach the quarter-finals of the Women’s World Cup after their last-16 tie finished 0-0 at the end of extra time.

Meanwhile, Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu praised the Super Falcons’s effort despite their painful defeat to England.

The president said the team’s brilliant effort did not go unnoticed despite the outcome.

According to him, the Falcons made Nigeria proud on the global stage.