Okon demands NFF respect, threatens to dump Falcons
by JOEL AJAYIonMar 3, 2015

Ahead of the Women’s World Cup in Canada this summer, Super Falcons Head Coach, Edwin Okon, is threatening to dump the team if the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) refuses to accord him the respect given to the Super Eagles coach.
National Mirrorgathered that Okon’s displeasure with top officials of the NFF started when he submitted his initial team list of 35 players for camping to the technical committee, which the NFF increased to 36 by including the name of a goalkeeper that excelled during the last Women’s Federation Cup played in Lagos, but was omitted in the Okon list.
This, we gathered irked the coach, who voiced out his displeasure over the inclusion of the player. Okon is also angry that the NFF had dropped one of his backroom staff without consulting him, for what the NFF termed insubordination and undermining authorities of the football federation.
The Falcons’ coach was said not to have taken that decision lightly, as he questioned why a decision to drop his assistant was taken without seeking his consent.
And to drive home his point, last weekend, he refused a NFF delegation chance to address the Falcons at one of their training sessions.
The Akwa Ibom State born tactician refused the NFF delegation led by Mrs. Dilichukwu Onyedinma, an Executive Committee Member and Chairman of the Nigeria Women Football League, opportunity to address the players training last Friday.
The delegation had arrived at the FIFA Goal Project within the Abuja National Stadium training venue of the Falcons at about 3.30pm, but waited till 5.15pm with Okon insisting that no one would be allowed to talk to the players until he rounded off the practice.
According to him, the NFF should know that he is a senior national team coach and should be treated as such.
“I may call it a day if the NFF refuses to respect the Falcons technical crew,” Okon burst out.
Okon’s attitude drew the ire of the fans and journalists who attended the training session more so he sat in his corner and asked the Onyedinma delegation to come and discuss with him whatever they wanted to tell the girls.
The coach called off the training at 5.20pm, five minutes after the delegation had left angrily, even with Onyedinma donating N100, 000 to the Falcons for their refreshment. Falcons, African champions, will be the guests of Mali on March 22, in Bamako for a place at the 11th All Africa Games in Congo Brazzaville.

I am surprised that those who have been serially abusing Keshi have not commented on this story. Is this not the same battle Keshi has been fighting with NFF since 2012?