The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has pledged to pay the Super Falcons their entitlements for winning the Africa Women Cup of Nations (AWCON) in Cameroon.
The Falcons defeated hosts and neighbours, the Indomitable Lionesses, 1-0 on Saturday in Yaoundé to claim their eighth African title.
According to multiple reports, the victorious Falcons have vowed not to leave their Abuja base until the NFF settles them their outstanding bonuses.
However, NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, has urged the ladies to consider the present severe economic challenges in the country and revealed that the body will do its best to settle them as soon as possible.
“There is no gainsaying that there are severe economic challenges and all organisations, whether government or private, are feeling the pinch,” the NFF scribe told SuperSport on Tuesday.
“It is not government’s doing, it is not anybody’s doing. We know we have financial commitment to you, players and officials of Super Falcons and we have not at any time stated otherwise, but the money is not readily available at the moment.
“I have come to appeal to you to understand the situation of the federation, to understand the situation of the country at the present and exercise patience.
“We will pay you all monies you are being owed as soon as we receive same from the government, just as we paid the U17 lads who won the Fifa U17 World Cup in Chile last year after the tournament.
“And just as we sorted out coach Samson Siasia’s wages as soon as we had the funds after the Olympics.
“As I speak with you we are still owing the Super Eagles for the matches against Zambia and Algeria but the memos have gone to government and are being looked at.
“We must commend the Honourable Minister, Barr Solomon Dalung. He has been energetically pushing the cases of the various national teams.
“We did the memo for the Africa Women Cup of Nations in October and it is being processed as we speak,” said Sanusi to thenff.com.
Sanusi said that corporate organisations are now lending a listening ear to the NFF leadership as the federation’s finances will soon improve.
“We are also working to get monies outstanding from former sponsors of the national teams to complement what we are expecting from government.
“In relation to all these we are in the process of sorting out our TSA domiciliary accounts so that we can receive our due grants from Fifa and Caf including the $80,000 prize money from the AWCON once it is available,” said Sanusi.
Sanusi confirmed that the NFF is waiting for word from the government to know when the African champions will be hosted to a state reception.
“The reception is out of our hands. We are waiting on the Federal Government, and as soon as we have confirmation of the date we will inform the players and officials to regroup in Abuja.”
