Super Falcons players have vowed not to leave their team hotel in France in protest over unpaid camp allowances at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup and bonuses from two years ago.
The Falcons reached the round-of-16 of the tournament for the first time in 20 years before falling 3-0 to Germany in Grenoble on Saturday.
In the sit-in protest at their Grenoble Hotel after their elimination, the players say they would not leave until the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) paid the bonuses they are owed from two past games, against Gambia and Senegal, from two and three years ago.
Nigeria Super Falcons have refused to leave team hotel in France until all allowances and bonuses are paid by the Nigeria Football Federation. #FIFAWWC #NGA pic.twitter.com/45oY4NrRte
— Bolarinwa Olajide (@iambolar) June 23, 2019
They said the bonuses amounted to $5,600 (app. N2million), out of which only half has been paid.
However, ESPN quoted NFF President, Amaju Pinnick as saying that all the remaining allowances have been paid to the players.
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He insisted that the only remaining debt was from the participation fee for the competition which would come from FIFA in September.
According to the ESPN report, Pinnick noted that the Super Falcons players said their Cameroonian and French colleagues have already received money from the participation fee.
The Herald recalls that Super Falcons protested over bonuses after winning the 2016 AWCON title in Cameroon and had a sit-in at a hotel in South Africa in 2004 over outstanding allowances.