Super Falcons Refuse To Release AWCON Trophy

All is not yet right at the Super Falcons’ camp despite the Federal Government’s order that the players and their officials, who recently won the African Women Nations Cup in Cameroun, be paid their emoluments immediately.

The Super Falcons, who have been holed up at their Agura Hotel, Abuja camp since December 6 when they returned from the AWCON in Cameroun, are insisting that they would neither leave the hotel nor hand over the trophy to government if their entitlements dating back to eight match bonuses and other allowances were not settled.

It was learnt that some of the players have received their payment alerts, but majority were yet to get theirs as at yesterday.

Apart from the match bonuses from the AWCON, the players are also demanding payment for the qualifiers against Senegal in April, as well as camp allowances before they embarked on the Nations Cup campaign.

They are demanding about US$23,650 per player from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for winning the 2016 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

An official of the team, who pleaded anonymity, said “some of the players have received their alerts, but they have refused to leave the hotel until everyone got his money to the last kobo. They don’t trust anybody any more.”

She added that the players “thank the government, the fans and media for their roles in making sure we got our hard-earned dues.

“Government has done its part, it is up to the other parties to carry out the order.”

It was learnt that the Federal Government gave the cash-strapped NFF about US$1.2m on Friday to settle the team and the Super Eagles, who are being owed outstanding bonuses for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers.