Unpaid Bonuses Overshadow Super Falcons’ WAFCON Campaign Despite Perfect Start
Nigeria’s Super Falcons go into their final group game at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) with maximum points. However, once again, unpaid bonuses and allowances are making headlines instead of their football.
As the team continues to win matches, the bonuses and camp allowances owed to players are piling up, and concerns about delayed payments have returned.
On Saturday in Casablanca, sports journalist Osasu Obayiuwana asked Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President, Ibrahim Musa Gusau, if the players were being paid during the tournament.
Gusau said discussions were ongoing with the federal government:
“We are talking with the federal government and I am sure all the money due to the players will be released very soon.
In the meantime, we try to pay their daily allowances while waiting for the main funds from the government. I can assure you that they will get their full payments before the end of the tournament.”
But when asked if older debts from past tournaments had been cleared, Gusau claimed only small amounts remained:
“I am not aware of any big debts. As far as I know, only a little is outstanding, and not up to 2021.”
However, documents seen by Obayiuwana tell a different story. Sources close to the team say each player is still owed over $13,600 and ₦10,000 from 2021 to 2023.
Breakdown of Unpaid Allowances and Bonuses (Per Player)
Training Camps (2021–2023):
- Austria (2021): $1,000
- Canada (2022): $1,000 (Only $500 paid in Jan 2024)
- USA (Sept 2022): $1,000
- Japan (Oct 2022): $1,000 (Only $500 paid in Sept 2023)
- Mexico (Feb 2023): $1,000
- Turkey (Apr 2023): $500 (Paid during World Cup in Australia)
Total Unpaid Training Camp Allowance: $2,500
WAFCON Qualifiers:
- Ghana (Away): $300
- Ivory Coast (Away): $500 (Only $400 paid)
- Ivory Coast (Home): ₦10,000
Total WAFCON Unpaid: $800 + ₦10,000
2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup:
- 13-Day Camp: $1,300 (Only $1,000 paid)
- Canada Draw: $1,500
- Australia Win: $3,000
- Ireland Draw: $1,500
Total World Cup Bonus: $6,000
Total Owed Per Player:
- Training Camps: $2,500
- WAFCON: $800 + ₦10,000
- World Cup: $6,000
Grand Total: $13,600 + ₦10,000
Players including Michelle Alozie, Ifeoma Onumonu, Charity Adule, Yewande Balogun, and Esther Okoronkwo are among those still owed their full $1,000 allowance from the U.S. tour in 2022.
Same Old Promises
When asked if she believed the NFF’s new promise that all payments would be made before the tournament ends, Super Falcons midfielder Jennifer Echegini gave a short but clear answer:
“We’re focused on winning the tournament, not on money.”
But fans and players remember what happened in 2022, when the Falcons boycotted training ahead of their third-place match against Zambia at the last WAFCON, also held in Morocco. That protest was over unpaid bonuses.
As the Falcons prepare to face Algeria tonight in a Group B top-of-the-table clash, many are hoping that this time, the promises will be kept — and that the players will finally get what they are owed.
