I’ve spoken to @nbbfonline leadership on this and got two things from them

1. There was actually a racist slur used which caused that game to be stopped

2. They are NOT in any talks with Cambage about representing Nigeria.

There is a little bit more to the story, though. So let me explain. In the immediate aftermath of the bust up during that scrimmage, @ecambage went into the Nigeria dressing room to apologize. After that, she spoke to officials, including then coach Otis Hughely.

One official who was part of the conversation said she told them australia don’t like her and she would like to switch and represent Nigeria. Coach Hughely responded by saying imagine how great it would be to have her, Liz Williams and the Ogwumikes playing for Nigeria.

Remember, this was when the Ogwumike sisters were trying to switch from Team USA. However, that was about the extent of the conversation and nothing else happened beyond that. A few days ago, Cambage reached out to an NBBF official, with a heads up about her interview.

She told the official what she had said in the interview and that she had told them she was talking to him about switching to Nigeria. I called the official and he confirmed receiving the text from her, but said he did not respond as he was busy at AfroBasket

However, he did say that the NBBF Board had no intention of requesting a switch for @ecambage, the board had not even heard about it let alone discuss it and there was zero chance of that happening.

The very exact words used were “it would be easier for an elephant to pass through the eye of a needle, not even a camel” than for Cambage to play for Nigeria. The first, last and only time that conversation happened was when Liz herself brought it up in 2021.

I just reached out to the NBBF concerning Liz Cambage's claim on inviting her to play for @DtigressNG here is their answer 👇

"No truth in all these. Her name has never been mentioned in our plans".

So Liz baby face the Opals we the "3rd world country" not interested.

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.

Some players of the Nigeria national team have thrown their weight behind their female counterpart in calling out the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to pay the Super Falcon players after their outstanding performance at the Women's World Cup.

The Super Falcons were eliminated from the tournament in australia and New Zealand after a penalty shootout defeat to England.

However, the players remain unpaid by the Nigerian Football Federation, leading to the release of a statement from FIFPRO.

“The team is extremely frustrated that they have had to pursue the Nigeria Football Federation for these payments before and during the tournament and may have to continue doing so afterwards. It is regrettable that players needed to challenge their own federation at such an important time in their careers," part of the statement read.

This has led to Super Eagles players, including Victor Osimhen, putting pressure on the NFF to settle the players.

"Pay them NFF," wrote Osimhem in response to a post by Asisat Oshoala on Instagram.

Victor Anicehe also posted:

"NFF pay them! They did us all proud! And even if they didn’t. Pay them what they are owed!!!"

Odion Ighalo, a member of the national team posted on Instagram: "NFF never stop these things."

The Super Falcons are expected back in Nigeria on Wednesday following their gallant display.

Liz Cambage says she’s in talks to leave the Australian team to represent Nigeria in the Olympics.

She maintains she did not use a racial slur towards the Nigerian team during a scrimmage ahead of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics

(via Taylor Rooks X)

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.

Former England midfielder Karen Cairney has said the Lionesses must be wary of the danger posed by Super Falcons star Asisat Oshoala.

Karen Cairney, a former England Women's midfielder, has warned the Lionesses to be wary of Nigerian forward Asisat Oshoala ahead of their last-16 clash.

Oshoala has been Nigeria's best player so far, despite scoring only one goal in the tournament up till this point — in the 3-2 win over hosts australia.

Oshoala can decide game for Nigeria

"She is a top-quality striker who is more than capable of pulling something out of the bag," Carney said in an interview with Powerleague.

"I expect Nigeria will have big expectations and big hopes, so we can't rest on our laurels. "Despite how good England were against China, Nigeria are a top nation that will cause us problems.

"They have a world-class striker and individual players that will be difficult for us."

FIFA Secretary General Tells Super Falcons Prize Money Will Be Paid Directly To Players Because Of Nigerian Government's Irresponsibility

The FIFA secretary general who addressed the Super Falcons after their 0-0 draw with the Republic of Ireland in their dressing room, noted that she knows “it has been tough” and that they had to “face the reality of Nigeria.”

The Secretary-General of the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), Ms Fatma Samoura has told Super Falcons of Nigeria that it is because of players like them that FIFA decided to pay prize money directly to players.

The FIFA secretary general who addressed the Super Falcons after their 0-0 draw with the Republic of Ireland in their dressing room, noted that she knows “it has been tough” and that they had to “face the reality of Nigeria.”


She, however, added that for the first time, the prize money would be paid to them – players – because of such realities.

“It is because of you that for the first time in the history of FIFA, the FIFA women world cup prize money will be paid directly to you, the players,” Samoura said, amid cheers from the nine-time African champions.

A former Arsenal player and football pundit Ian Wright also sent a message to the Nigeria Football Federation after the Super Falcons earned a historic win over the co-hosts of the tournament, australia on Thursday.


The Super Falcons will not be paid their tournament match bonuses, following an announcement from FIFA that all players would receive around £15,760 (AUS$30,000) for participation in the group stages of the tournament.

There were set to be separate payments following each of Nigeria's group games - against Canada, australia and Ireland - in addition to this.

The team had even threatened to go on strike for the first match of the competition against Canada who are also in the middle of a pay dispute with their own FA seeking equal pay and support with the men's team.

After a stunning win against hosts australia, Wright took to social media to send out his message of support for the Nigerians.

“Pay them!!!!!” he wrote, lending his voice to the country's continuing dispute between players and governing body.

Pay them!!!!!! @thenff 🇳🇬

It has been a debate bubbling away beneath the surface of Nigerian women's football for some time, with manager Randy Waldrum outspoken in his criticisms over the treatment of his players. His previous complaints include disagreements over unpaid wages, poor travel arrangements and the cancellation of a pre-tournament camp leading up to the Women's World Cup in australia and New Zealand. The Nigerian squad even resorted to enlisting the help of global players' union FIFPRO over the matter. “I know we are not prepared the way we need to be … I've been very frustrated with the federation and the lack of support,” he said on the Sounding off on Soccer podcast, Daily Mail reports.

“We were supposed to have a camp for 10 to 12 days in Nigeria before going to australia for another 10 to 15 days, but the federation cancelled the home camp.

“We have less days than a College pre-season to prepare for the World Cup, and it blows my mind because we've known about this since last year.” His thoughts were unsurprisingly met with disapproval from the NFF.

Federation representative Ademola Olajire called for Waldrum to 'simply concentrate on the task at hand'. However, Samoura commended the Super Falcons for progressing at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, a first-ever for an African team at the competition.

According to Samoura, their feat brought joy to women’s football as a whole with their elegance and self-assuredness on the pitch, as well as African women's football and the African girl-child. “I must say that I am proud of you. As you know, I am the first woman to be Secretary General of FIFA since the organisation was founded in 1904, and I am also an African. So, I am easily excited by any accomplishment that glorifies women’s football and African football,” she said.

The FIFA scribe who was in company with Nigeria’s leader of the delegation, Chief Felix Anyansi-Agwu and others, described the Super Falcons as the “best team of Africa”. She said their performance would inspire other African teams at the tournament. “You have won one match here, as Morocco and Zambia, but you are the only team that has made it to the knock-out stage yet.

I am also excited because when FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced my name as the new FIFA Secretary-General, I was in Nigeria working for the United Nations. So, Nigeria is a second home for me. “You should continue to believe in yourselves and play as a team, and be ready to lift the African flag higher in this tournament.

” Osasu Obayiuwana, a British-Nigerian journalist, who posted the video on Twitter, noted that Samoura had mandated FIFA’s Director for Africa, Gelson Fernandes, to ensure that the players received the money as she would be leaving soon. Samoura is leaving after seven years as the highest-profile woman working in the world football governing body. However, she will stay in the job through the ongoing Women’s World Cup in australia and New Zealand and leave at the end of the year.

Hours After Gianni Infantino Left World Cup, FIFA Shockingly Backtracks From $49,000,000 Promise to Women Players

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup expanded for the first time since its inception in 1991. A total of 32 teams are participating in the tournament that is taking place in australia and New Zealand. Moreover, eight nations are making a debut in the competition. It comes as a part of FIFA’s initiative to spread women’s soccer worldwide.

However, the recent comments of the FIFA chief have cast doubts over the organization’s commitments to improve women’s soccer. Gianni Infantino backtracked from the promise he made before the competition started. The statement might attract criticism from players amid the ongoing World Cup.

“Each individual player at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 can now fully rely on remuneration for their efforts as they progress through the tournament,” were the words of Gianni Infantino before the World Cup started. He committed to distribute money directly to the players from the portion of the prize money. Each player was guaranteed around $30,000 for their participation.

It would have increased to $270,000 with the team’s going deep. As per the commitment, $49 million could have directly gone to the players from record-breaking $110 million prize money, bypassing the federations. Even $30,000 would have changed the lives of many soccer stars, as the average professional women player’s salary is a mere $14,000. The promise excited the players. Who would not have liked to earn that life-changing money?

But the recent words of the FIFA chief are not encouraging for the women players dreaming of getting enormous prize money. “We are moving, of course, in the right direction. We have been consulting with associations, with players, to try to go in the right path,” Infantino said. There is no mechanism by which the governing body can directly transfer the sums to the players. Also, only the federations can handle some residency and tax complications.

“We have issued these recommendations, but we have an association of associations. So whatever payments we do, we will go through the associations, and then the associations will, of course, make the relevant payments to their own players. We are in touch with all the associations,” Infantino added. Despite increasing the prize money to $110 million from $30 million, players might not get massive benefits. The statement comes hours after Infantino left World Cup in the middle, unlike FIFA Men’s World Cup in 2022.

It is a disheartening update from FIFA President amid the ongoing World Cup. It will be interesting to see how the players react to the update. What is your take on the backtracking from FIFA?