Nigeria has a pay issue with FA following their World Cup exit – FIFPro
FIFPro, the global players’ union, has stated that it is aiding Nigeria’s women’s national team in its pursuit of bonus payments, camp allowances, and expenditures dating back to 2021.
FIFPro claimed in a statement released a day after the Super Falcons were eliminated from the Women’s World Cup by England in a penalty shootout, that the squad was “frustrated” with having to pursue the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) over the problem before and during the tournament.
The union stated that Nigerian players abstained from making public comments about their issue with the federation throughout the World Cup, but that now is the time for the NFF to honour their agreements and pay the players what they are owed.
Despite being recurrent, Nigeria and it’s federation have often fought over resources and equitable treatment. The squad conducted sit-ins at their hotel during the 2019 World Cup and the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations to protest an alleged shortage of funds from the NFF.
According to reports prior to the World Cup, when the players arrived in Brisbane, Australia, for a pre-tournament camp, they were informed that the bonuses that had been planned for play had been canceled because the $30,000 each player would receive from FIFA for competing – a figure that rose to $60,000 if they qualified for the round of 16 – would be sufficient.
This conflict occurred concurrently with a dispute between coach Randy Waldrum and the NFF over his appearances on two podcasts in which he criticized the federation’s handling and support of the squad, claimed he was owed wages, and accused his employers of interfering in squad selection and coaching. The NFF’s communications director, Ademola Olajire, responded by calling the American coach the “worst Super Falcons coach in history” and a “blabbermouth.”
