NFF: FIFPRO’s statement is mere storm in a tea-cup

Posted By: admin on: August 08, 2023In: Super Falcons

The Nigeria Football Federation has dismissed as nothing more than a storm in a team cup, a statement issued by the world body of professional footballers, FIFPRO on Tuesday calling on the Federation to pay players of the Super Falcons what they are owed.

The Federation reiterated that it had an earlier agreement with the players on what they would earn at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, but world football-governing body, FIFA came up with a new template that guaranteed more money for the players and which made players of all participating teams happier.

The NFF insisted it does need FIFPRO shouting from far off to pay Nigerian players what they had been promised by both FIFA and the NFF, dismissing the body’s statement as a mere relevance-seeking message.

It recalled that its officials sat down and agreed with the players on what to pay them, but FIFA came up with a juicier package and they were all happy about it. If they had beaten England, for instance, and reached the quarter-finals, the NFF disclosed that the players would have been entitled to $90,000, and not the $60,000 each player will be getting now. A place in the semi-finals would have guaranteed at least $165,000 each (for 4thplace, and $180,000 each for 3rd place) for the players.

The Federation praised the team for its efforts at reaching the Round of 16 and standing up firmly to world number four England on the turf, as well as its heroics in the group phase. It noted that not losing a single match out of four in regulation time is a remarkable record by an African team.

The nation’s football-governing body stated that it has no issues with the players; it had assured them before the World Cup that they would be paid the couple of friendly matches and qualifying matches for which they were being owed appearance fees and bonuses respectively. It pledged to pay the money once the World Cup money is paid.

The NFF also charged FIFPRO to stop playing the ostrich and stand up to its real responsibilities, calling on the body to address the real issues. The Federation revealed that after all these years, FIFPRO does not have an affiliate body in Nigeria. It challenged the body to come to Nigeria and set up an affiliate body that can always and legitimately speak on behalf of Nigerian players, and made up of individuals who understand the culture and dynamics of the African environment.

https://www.thenff.com/nff-fifpros-statement-is-mere-storm-in-a-tea-cup/

See previous thread here: FIFPRO Assisting Super Falcons In Dispute With NFF.

Colin NOT Collins 🇳🇬🇺🇸 @ColinUdoh

A THREAD ON @FIFPRO x @NGSuper_Falcons x @thenff

Late last week, I had a chat with NFF president @IbrahimMusaGus1. Among the many questions I asked him was the Super Falcons outstanding payments.

He told me the NFF is flat broke, but would pay them from the federation share of the FIFA World Cup funds. He also mentioned that they had requested for funds from the FG, which had been approved, but had not been disbursed yet. Btw, anyone who has dealt with the Nigerian govt (state or FG) will know the term “approval is not the same as release”.

I also spoke with another senior NFF official today after seeing the @FIFPRO statement. And he told me that their involvement changes nothing. The players would get paid their outstanding once either of those two monies come in first.

He explained that the NFF had not received any funding since and their last payment from FIFA was used to settle part of the national teams’ coaches wages (Peseiro and Waldrum). And that the FIFA funds had already been earmarked for paying the players outstandings.

This official told me all of this documentation, including the letters from FIFA and their agreement with the players had been sent to @FIFPRO as soon as they reached out, saying this statement was in bad faith.

https://twitter.com/ColinUdoh/status/1688975419385516038

Reactions to Asisat Oshoala's Instagram post about the FIFPRO statement.

The Super Falcons coach, Randy Waldrum, spoke about this issue on July 29th.

The money that is being owed the Falcons are bonuses from Nations Cup qualifiers against Ghana and the Ivory Coast and some friendly matches, all of which were played in 2021.

The Falcons went on strike during the Nations Cup in 2022. The NFF had to fly in part of the money that they were being owed at the Nations Cup before they called off the strike.

The NFF then organised a clear the air meeting and it encouraged the players to speak freely. Tochukwu Oluehi, the Falcons former number 1 goalkeeper and current number 2 keeper, said that the NFF has always been owing them and making promises that they never keep. She said that she has been in the national team set up for 15 years (from Under 17 level) and every time the NFF promises to pay them, but always ends up owing. She said that she's not getting younger and she has people that depend on her, so she needs this money.

NFF officials got angry because she spoke out and they told the coach to drop her. They said the coach must pick a young home based goalkeeper instead. The coach initially agreed to take a look at the young home based goalkeeper. However, NFF did not hold the camp in Nigeria that they had promised to have before the World Cup, so he never got to see the young goalkeeper play. The coach then told the NFF that he cannot take a goalkeeper that he has never seen to the World Cup. He said that his contract states that he picks the players and therefore he is taking Tochukwu Oluehi to the World Cup. The NFF then said that he cannot take his assistant to the World Cup.

The assistant coach of the Falcons, Lauren Gregg, was the assistant coach of the United States National Team when they won the World Cup. She is Randy Waldrum's mentor, adviser and she is one of the most respected football coaches in the US. The NFF told the coach that he could not take his assistant to the World Cup because he refused to drop Tochukwu Oluehi. They wanted him to drop Tochukwu Oluehi because she complained that the NFF was owing them.

Hear Coach Randy Waldrum's interview. https://open.spotify.com/episode/5GvvKONxOzQDEPN25ynmex

@Least you admit there's a storm....= problem.


Wittyness

Until dem physically start to relate with this thieves they won't change. They have lost all fear of consequences for bad behaviour and it needs to be reinstated.

Corrupt ppl everywhere

What a country

.......here we go again 🤔

NFF is one of the most corrupt agency in Nigeria. It is as if they are not under the supervision of any ministry

I never see a body so outrightly corrupt like NFF, even NNPC and NDDC still dey learn work.


But las las, NFF, NNPC and NDDC are filthy corrupt.

Shameless NFF

Nigeria herself as a nation not just NFF

clould:
NFF needs a total overhaul and restructuring

MrDoGood:
What a country

No shame when it comes to corruption and embezzlement. How can they owing playing bonuses from 2021.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wg7lfHL_l1w

It's a big shame that these people are so shameless that they do nothing and still corner money that the players deserve and still SHAMELESSLY come out to defend themselves.


S
H
A
M
E

Didn't they have money before?

Hope they don't disappoint

From 'No Future Ambition' to 'No F*ckin Future'.

Ok

Okay.

Pay dis girls their money eyin ole

Please arrange in ascending order of corruption:
NFF, NNPC, NDSC, NASS, FG, CBN etc

No need for plenty talks, let the players be paid what's due to them, simple.

wittywriter:
@Least you admit there's a storm....= problem.


Wittyness

Just to pay them....e dey blow grammar. Always relying on FIFA money, no plan to pay them

phemmyfour:
Just to pay them....e dey blow grammar. Always relying on FIFA money, no plan to pay them

That's what annoys me the most. They have a lot of products/brands that they can leverage on, but they are always relying on government or FIFA money.

Either the NFF pay them what's due to them or they start boycotting subsequent matches.

The level of impunity and carefree attitude of NFF is unbecoming.

Lol…make una sha pay the money

Greed at play.

Meanwhile, We are a caregiving company dedicated to providing the highest quality care for our elderly clients or those that are ill, disabled and nursing mothers, right in their homes...kindly check my signature.

Because of NFF corrupt practices and funds diversion, FIFA decided to pay players their earnings directly for the first time.

NFF is a disgrace to world football.