• It will affect other young Nigerians negatively, says ex-Super Falcons player

THE revelation Tuesday by U.S.-based Nigeria’s U-20 female player, Courtney Dike, that she rejected the $7,000 World Cup bonus paid her by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in order not to flout the rule governing the NCAA collegiate regulations in America, has been faulted by an ex-player of the Super Falcons.

Dike, a student of Oklahoma State University made big headlines in both local and international media recently when she turned down the $7,000 bonus paid to her by the NFF for representing the country at the last U-20 Women World Cup in Canada. She scored the fastest goal at the competition..

It was reported then that Dike, the younger sister of Super Eagles player, Bright Dike, told an official of the NFF that having the opportunity to wear the Nigeria green white green colour was a bigger honour than the cash. But the player clarified her decision through an email she sent to the NFF Tuesday: “I would like to respond to what I have been reading on the internet about rejecting bonuses,” Dike said. “I am delighted to play for Nigeria whenever called upon. I knew before leaving for the U-20 World Cup that I would not accept any bonuses. Acceptance of prize money is against NCAA regulations (the division 1 collegiate governing body) here in the U.S., so that is the main reason for rejecting it.

“Knowing this beforehand, I still chose to represent the country because I believed the experience would be more valuable than the money, and I was right,” Dike said.

However, a former Nigerian female player, who passed through the NCAA collegiate system in the United States, while featuring for the Super Falcons said in a telephone chat with The Guardian yesterday that Nigerians should see Dike’s rejection of the $7,000 bonus as ‘purely personal reason.”


Though, the ex-Falcons player, who pleaded anonymity, praised Dike for turning down the money, she added that such action might ‘block’ the way for other young Nigerian players who play collegiate football in the United States. “To me, what Dike should have simply said was that she is from a rich family and has nothing to do with the $7,000 bonus. There are so many Nigerians who have played collegiate football and at the same time represented Nigeria in the past. They collected their bonuses because it is their entitlement and nobody queries them back home in the States.”

The ex-Falcons player added: “For Dike to say she is rejecting the $7,000 bonus to stick to the NCAA collegiate regulations is her personal decision. We have so many Nigerian track and field athletes running in the NCAA collegiate system in America and at the same time representing Nigeria in international competitions. They pocket their allowances because they need it to take care of basic things. I just hope the NFF and the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) will not capitalize on what Dike has just said to deny other young Nigerians their bonuses whenever they come to represent the country.”

Source: http://ngrguardiannews.com/sport/186273-u-s-based-dike-explains-her-rejection-of-7-000-world-cup-bonus