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.
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.
naptu2: The Super Falcons also staged a sit-in protest after the African Women's Championship in South Africa in 2004. They refused to leave their hotel until they were paid.
Consequently they missed their flight to Nigeria and became stranded. President Olusegun Obasanjo had to send the presidential jet to pick them up.
Agony of ex-Super Falcons coach, Godwin Izilien 12 years after Nations Cup triumph in South Africa
By Gowon Akpodonor | 30 December 2016 | 2:04 am
In 2004, Coach Godwin Izilein led the Super Falcons to win the African Nations Cup in Johannesburg, South Africa. It was the fourth AWC title for Nigeria.
Twelve years down the line, the coach, now 74 years old, and the rest of his coaching crew are still being owed salary arrears of over $28,750, out of which, $12,000 of the amount belongs to Izilien.
As in the case of the Coach Florence Omagbemi-led Super Falcons squad that won the recently concluded 2016 African Women’s Nations cup in Cameroun, the team to the 2004 AWC in Jo’burg was not given any chance by the then NFA board led by Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima before their departure for that championship.
With determination, however, Izilien and his players fought and won the battle, beating the Lionesses of Cameroun 5-0 in the final with Perpetua Nkwocha (now an assistant coach of the team) accounting for four goals plus a late strike from pocket dynamite, Vera Okolo.
Millions of football-loving Nigerians back home celebrated the victory late into the night, but unknown to them, Coach Izilien, members of his coaching crew and the players were being subjected to derision in far away Johannesburg.
Sensing another round foul play when the Galadima-led NFA defaulted in paying all entitlements after the competition, the girls protested by refusing to leave their hotel rooms the next morning for the airport, insisting on getting their camp allowances and winning bonuses.
“The team was abandoned by the Federal Government delegation, but as a coach and father to the players at that point in time, I had to stay back with them until the Nigeria Consulate intervened by paying the players’ entitlements,” Izilien recalled in a chat with The Guardian yesterday. “I took the pain to stay back with them because abandoning the girls at that point would be seen as unprofessional. But I was pleading with them to end the protest since we were in another country, but they refused.
“So many Nigerians who did not even know what transpired between me and the players in Johannesburg started to spread rumour back home that I instigated the players to embark on the protest. Some ‘bad belle’ people even went as far as saying that they saw us displaying Biafran flag while protesting on the streets of Johannesburg. I am an Edo man, and I have not seen a Biafran flag in my entire life. All the rumour were meant to spoil the mind of then President Olusegun Obasanjo and members of the Federal Executive Council,” he said.
Speaking further, Izilien, who also led the National U-17 team, Golden Eagles, to the African Championship in The Gambia in 1995 said: “Some of the Super Falcons players I took to South Africa in 2004 were relatively young. I discovered them during school competitions, and it is only fair that government should have appreciated my efforts. I am only using this medium to appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari, the Vice President, Prof. Yomi Osibanjo, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, members of the Senate Committee on Sports, House of Representatives and indeed all well meaning Nigerians to come to my rescue. It hurts me on daily basis whenever I remember the sacrifices I made for the country, and how I have been neglected in return. The players got their money, so why should I continue to suffer? Many governments have come and gone, but I will be very grateful to the Buhari administration if he could pay us the equivalent of that money. It is a way of rewarding excellence and fulfilling Federal Government’s promises.
“I have written several letters to concerned authorities without a single reply; I am suffering after being neglected by the football authority. To think that I agreed to handle the female national team at a time of crisis without asking for extra remuneration, and to be treated in this manner is not encouraging for the growth of the game. I did it out of patriotism for fatherland.
“We were promised payments on arrival in Nigeria after the championship, but till date nobody has said anything about that money,” Coach Izilien added.
I have written about this many times. In 2016 the Super Falcons had to protest on the streets of Abuja about the fact that the NFF had not paid them. Their travel arrangements from Cameroon were a disgrace. The NFF blamed Coach Florence Omagbemi for failing to prevent the players from protesting and they frustrated her out of the job.
In 2019 the Falcons staged a sit in protest at their hotel. The NFF blamed Captain Desire Oparanozie for the protest and froze her out of the team. Coach Thomas Dennerby resigned in protest because the NFF were interfering with his team selection by preventing him from selecting Desire.
There are many Nigerian coaches of the Falcons that are still being owed since the early 2000s.
FIFPRO is the Fédération Internationale des Associations de Footballeurs Professionnels (in English: International Federation of Professional Footballers). Basically the international union of footballers.
FIFPRO @FIFPRO
#FIFPRO statement on behalf of Nigeria women's national team:
Calitoscassius: You obviously cannot read nor comprehend, read, read, read the story and try comprehension. I know the truth hurts but Naigeria never wins in any competitions, tbey always lose
Hahahahahahahahahaha
And the Americans have accepted her into their team, right?
Calitoscassius: Naigeria will lose anyway, regardless they always lose in everything, the Americans has accepted her into their team so she loses nothing.
🤣🤣🤣
Which Americans??
(You can easily tell when someone wants to troll. They don't even bother to know what they are talking about).
Los Angeles Sparks center Liz Cambage responded to an Australian media report about the altercation that ended her Australian national team career ahead of last summer's Olympics.
According to an investigative report by Sydney's Daily Telegraph, Cambage allegedly used racial epithets, calling the Nigerian team "monkeys" and telling them to "go back to your third-world country" during an incident that began when she hit one of their players with a hard elbow.
Cambage denied the allegations and claimed that she was "physically assaulted," in a post on her Instagram page Sunday night.
The incident that took place during the pre-Olympic scrimmage with the Nigerian team was handled privately, almost a year ago.
I am very disappointed and hurt by the events and accusations that have unfolded in the Australian media. The recount of what took place is inaccurate and misleading.
I did not use the racial slur towards the Nigerian team that has been circulating.
After I unintentionally fouled a Nigerian player on court I was then physically assaulted by this player on the sideline of my bench. I was hit in the face and pushed to the ground but I walked away. Prior to the game I asked to sit out because I was concerned about my mental and physical health, which I have addressed publicly.
We did not have professional referees to manage and prioritise both teams' safety during this highly physical scrimmage.
This is not an excuse or justification to the events that unfolded or my actions, however, I feel that a full picture of the environment that led to this outcome must be shared.
I have taken responsibility and accountability for my involvement in what occurred. I genuinely apologised to the Nigerian team and I once again, am sorry that these events are being rehashed.
I truly hope that I can move forward from this incident and apply actionable effort to be my best self.
Thank you, Liz xX
Reported details of the Olympic training altercation
The incident happened at a closed scrimmage between Australia and Nigeria in Las Vegas in July, a little over a week before the Olympics were scheduled to begin.
Things first got tense with the elbow, which can be seen here. Then tensions reportedly escalated when Cambage re-entered the game, got tangled up with a Nigerian player, then allegedly slapped her across the face. The Nigerian player allegedly struck Cambage from behind as she walked back to the bench, leading the her to unload on her opponents.
From The Daily Telegraph:
Two Nigerian players confirmed they directly heard Cambage refer to them as "monkeys".
"She did say, 'Control your monkeys' or something like that," one player said. "The stuff she was saying was ridiculous.
The second player said: "That's what I recall, the term monkeys, yes. And go back to where you came from.
A third player told this investigation: "I was on the court. She definitely said go back to your third world country. I didn't hear it, but (teammates) confirmed she called us monkeys."
The day after the altercation, Cambage, whose father is Nigerian, reportedly covered a Nigerian team dinner to apologize for her actions, leading to a mixed reaction. She also apologized to the Australian team, which was described as "lighthearted" by one player.
Perplexingly, Cambage had spent the time before the scrimmage praising the Nigerian team and describing her own team as racist, according to a Nigerian player:
On the day of the practice game, a Nigerian player has revealed Cambage approached one of her teammates and told her: "Liz was telling her, 'Oh my god, I wish I was playing for the Nigerian national team'.
"She was really complimenting us, and she was saying that her Australian team is racist. This was on the day of the scrimmage.
"It's like something in a movie, unrealistic."
The rest of the article paints a picture of an Australian team desperate to keep their star happy in the run-up to the Olympics, to the frustration of her teammates. Cambage publicly lashed out at the team earlier this month, saying the team failed to support her.
Also earlier this month, former Opals captain Jenna O'Hea confirmed the training camp incident and said Cambage told the Nigerian players to "go back to your third world country."
The Nigeria altercation resulted in Cambage facing a potential removal from the Australian team, but she instead announced her own withdrawal. In a statement, Cambage claimed she was leaving the team over concerns about her mental health in the Olympic bubble.
Cambage, a four-time WNBA All-Star, is currently in her first season with the Los Angeles Sparks after two seasons with the Las Vegas Aces. She was drafted No. 2 overall by the Tulsa Shock in 2011.
Sparks coach Derek Fisher supported Cambage before the Sparks' game Sunday against the Minnesota Lynx.
“For us, we had some conversations internally — [with] ownership, with some of our players, management. Made the decision that Liz would be a welcome part of our team and that’s the way we’re looking at that at the moment,” Fisher said, via the Los Angeles Times. “If there are things that I guess continue to trend or come out that are confirmed at a later date, we’ll address that at that time in terms of how we feel about it. But right now, it’s something that in our opinion is pretty much complete, it’s just folks bringing it back up and expressing how they feel about it.
“But at this point, we don’t have much else to comment on, other than it was investigated, looked into and all we can do right now is focus on tonight and how we’re going to handle things moving forward. And if there are things to address to speak to at a different time, we’ll definitely do so.”
Cambage's teammate, Nneka Ogwumike, who is also the president of the WNBPA and Nigerian, said after the Sparks' game that the team had discussed the incident prior to Cambage joining the Sparks in the offseason.
"We got past it. So whatever agenda is happening with it resurfacing, that's other people's business," Ogwumike said after the Sparks' win Sunday, via the Times. "And quite frankly, we talked about it before she came to the team and granted, people have their own accounts of what happened, but we addressed it and we talked about how important it is for us to be together, be transparent and also empower giving people second chances.
"She could probably have more to say to her side of the story, but as a team, we talked about it and addressed it and anything else is really not anyone else's business unless Liz comes out and says what she wants to say. That's kind of all I have to say about that."
Interviewer: The altercation with the Nigerian team. Obviously there were reports of a physical and verbal altercation between your Australian team and the Nigerian team and a report says that you called the players monkeys and told them to go back to their third world country. You have vehemently denied these reports, but there are also a group of people that say that you did say these things. Why are these stories so drastically different?
Liz Cambage: A lot of girls don't like me. I don't really lean towards racially backed insults. That's not how I go. I'm very pro-black.
Interviewer: So you maintain that you did not say these things?
Liz Cambage: I did not say these to these girls.
Interviewer: Why would something as bad as this happen?
Liz Cambage: Because the truth looks a lot worse for other organisations involved, than using me as a scapegoat. Like why does Nigeria want me to leave Australia and go represent them?
Interviewer: You're saying right now?
Liz Cambage: We're filing for me to leave the Australian team so I can represent Nigeria.
Interviewer: Because Nigeria would like you to join the team.
Liz Cambage: I've been in cahoots. I've been talking with them since all of this happened. This is what I mean, people don't know the truth.
Sports › Re: NFF: FIFPRO’s Statement Is Mere Storm In A Tea-Cup by naptu2(op): 2:20am On Aug 09, 2023*. Modified: 2:37am On Aug 09, 2023
they always lose in everything, the Americans has accepted her into their team so she loses nothing.