Once again, the Nigerian Football Federation fails the Falcons

Super Falcons    Picture: Daily Post

The Super Falcons, Nigeria’s female football team, are the best in Africa. They won the just-concluded Africa Women Cup of Nations (AWCON) by beating hosts Cameroon 1-0.

The Falcons have won the title a record 10 times. No team even comes close to matching this feat. The next best team, Equatorial Guinea, have won it on only two occasions. But by the way the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) is treating the Falcons, you would never guess that this is Africa’s best-ever female football team.

The victorious girls returned from Cameroon after a hard-fought battle, not into the grateful and appreciative arms of the NFF, but to yet another round of deceit, failed promises and grandstanding.

They thought they are coming home to rest. Instead, they are facing another tough battle – how to get their entitlements from the football body. Just as it happened in the past, the NFF failed to honour its obligations to this team of champions.

Match bonuses and other entitlements have not been paid. Instead the football body offered the girls a miserly N50,000 each and tried to forcefully eject them from their hotel. The girls refused to budge, saying they want their entitlements paid in full. As usual, the NFF has gone to town to call the girls unreasonable and unpatriotic.

A newspaper report says the debt, which has accumulated over time, is about N238 million. Characteristically, The NFF claims it is cash-strapped and cannot pay the allowances now.

Trying to sound gentlemanly, NFF president Amaju Pinnick said, “You can’t give what you don’t have.”

But he conveniently forgot that it was wrong for the NFF to promise what it does not have. There is no need trying to sound sanctimonious now. He simply has to fulfill his promise.

It is sad that Nigeria’s national teams always have to fight to get their entitlements. A lot of times these fights are done abroad, thereby rubbishing the image of the country. But the NFF has refused to learn.

This is the season of change. And in football, the change must begin with the NFF.