Some members of the Super Falcons squad told The PUNCH they have yet to receive their outstanding WAFCON 2022 victory bonuses three months after the competition in Morocco.
The nine-time African champions boycotted training in the North African country in July to protest their unpaid compensation just before their WAFCON third-place clash against Zambia in Casablanca.
The players returned to training after receiving part of their camp allowances, with the Football Federation of Nigeria and the Ministry of Sports promising to settle the outstanding balance, along with their victory bonuses.
But some of the players claimed that while they hadn’t received their bonuses for winning three games at the tournament, some had yet to receive their full $1,500 camp allowance payment.
“Can you believe we still owe our WAFCON bonuses? In Morocco, our camp allowance was $1,500 per player. They paid us $1,000 each and said they would pay the remaining $500 to the accounts. do you know some players didn’t get theirs I was lucky to get mine but others didn’t get their $500 balance i think two d ‘between them. It’s demoralizing,’ said one senior member of the team, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Another team member, who also asked not to be named, added that despite all their efforts to secure payment, they were frustrated.
“We’ve been complaining for a long time, but they keep telling us they’re working on it. We also talked about it with the coach,” our source said.
“On match bonuses, we won three games, we’re supposed to get paid for all three games, but we didn’t get paid. All we hear is that the feds didn’t approve the money, while we also hear that the money has been approved. We are confused.
“When we played in the United States last month, former NFF president Amaju Pinnick was there and he told us he would make sure our money was paid before he left. But as I speak to you, we haven’t been paid and we haven’t heard anything. There is no communication, no one tells us about the payment.
During the players’ protest in Morocco, the media assistant to the Minister of Sports, Toyin Ibitoye, confirmed that the process of releasing funds for payment was underway.
“The issue has been resolved by the Football Federation of Nigeria and the girls now understand that even when the football governing body presents a budget, payment goes through a process and they have to be patient,” Ibitoye said. the punch in July.
Regarding when the players will receive their bonuses, Ibitoye added: “I don’t know when they will receive their money because it is the Ministry of Finance who can decide, but what is due to them will certainly be paid. There is a process by which the government gives approval for funds to be made available for any project like this. There is nothing anyone can do until these processes are completed and then the money will be released to them.
“The ministry and the NFF are working together to make sure the process happens faster, even the Super Eagles are going through the same process. Sometimes we pay them months after the tournaments and they don’t complain.