•Nigeria battles Egypt for quarterfinal ticket
The Super Falcons will enter their most crucial game of the group phase of the ongoing African Women’s Cup of Nations in Rabat, Morocco, with some extraneous things dogging their minds. The players have managed to restrain their anger over what some of them described as ‘an established pattern in the way players’ welfare is handled by the authorities.”

The issue, according to some of the players, who spoke through an official, is the Federal Government’s attitude to the $100, 000 it promised the players following their victory at the last AWCON in Morocco.

The Super Falcons defeated Morocco 3-2 to win the 2024 African Women’s Cup of Nations, which marked their 10th triumph in the championship.

On return to Nigeria, the Federal Government gave a lavish reception where the players were promised $100,000 each and a flat at the Renewed Hope Estate, Abuja. Their coaches and other backroom staff got $50,000 each and a flat at the estate each.

The Federal Government had last week handed over documents to the accompanying flats to the players, but the players are saying that nothing concrete has been said about the monetary aspect of the promise.

The official, who pleaded anonymity, told The Guardian that the players are worried by the Federal Government’s silence on the issue.

She said: “The other day the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) officials told us that the money will hit our accounts soon, but that is what we have been told since last December.

“Some of the senior players restrained the players from going on strike before our game against Malawi, but it seems that nothing will change any time soon.

“We need to be given specific answers; we need to know what is happening with the money.”

When The Guardian contacted the Senior Special Assistant (Sports) to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Anthony Adeboye, on the issue, he said he was out of the country and would get back to the reporter later.

The Guardian recalls that the women’s national basketball team, D’Tigress, complained about the same unfulfilled promises while at the FIBA World Cup qualifying championship in France.

The girls, like the Super Falcons, won the last FIBA Afrobasket and were promised houses and $100, 000 each. Their managers and backroom staff were promised houses and $50,000 each.

But while they have been given forms to fill for the houses, they are yet to receive the money accompanying it.

Meanwhile, the Super Falcons will meet Egypt in a Group C game that will decide whether they will qualify for the quarterfinals of the ongoing African Women’s Cup of Nations.

Defeat by debutants Malawi in their opening match meant that they must win the remaining two games against Zambia and Egypt to hope of making the last eight of the championship.

They promptly dispatched Zambia 1-0 albeit with 10 women against 11 and now need to beat Egypt by at least 3-0 today to move ahead in the championship.

Egypt are out of contention after losing by six goals to Zambia on the opening day of the group and falling 1-3 to pacesetters Malawi, but football is not mathematics and the Falcons will not be under-rating the girls from Misr.

Coach Justin Madugu must deal with the immediate challenge of finding replacements for defender Tosin Demehin and midfielder Jennifer Echegini, who are both ruled out of the contest following disciplinary issues. Demehin was sent off against Zambia for holding back Barbra Banda who was clear on goal, while Echegini accumulated two yellow cards in the team’s games against Malawi and Zambia.

Madugu, who tweaked his starting line-up versus Zambia on Saturday has more tweaking to do, with Christy Ucheibe, who did well in centre-back following Demehin’s expulsion on Saturday, likely to start alongside Osinachi Ohale, with Toni Payne favoured to start alongside captain Rasheedat Ajibade and perhaps HalimatuAyinde in the middle.