Super Falcons To Go On Strike And Boycott 2023 World Cup

The Super Falcons of Nigeria are ready to go on strike and miss their opening game at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand after learning that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has cancelled their match bonuses for the tournament.

Reports claimed that the NFF general secretary Mohammed Sanusi had informed the Super Falcons about their cancelled bonuses before they arrived at the Mercure Resorts, Gold Coast in Australia.

They made the decision to embark on strike and boycott the World Cup which will commence on July 20, after a lengthy discussions involving captain Onome Ebi, Rasheedat Ajibade, Asisat Oshoala, Ohale Osinachi, Tochukwu Oluehi, and Desire Oparanozie, according to the Punch.

Before the Nigerian team left Abuja for Australia on July 2, Sanusi reportedly told the players that the federation would not be offering match bonuses because FIFA had previously announced that each player would receive $30,000 during the competition’s group stage.

He also declared that the players would no longer receive 30% of the $1,560,000 FIFA subsidy given to all member associations for the competition’s group stage.

A source told the Punch that the Super Falcons were stunned “after Sanusi delivered the sucker punch.”

The source also claimed that, the Super Falcons head coach Randy Waldrum did not encourage his players to prepare “a coup” against the NFF.

“We are going ahead to press for our demands. We are ready to go as far as missing our first game against Canada July 21 because this has to stop”, the source said.

“On Wednesday night, we held a meeting where we agreed that we were going to find out if what we were asking for is legitimate, and that if it’s legitimate, we will press for our demands. It was what was agreed. The next meeting will be after we get the information we need and then the protest will start.”

“The General Secretary came for the meeting clutching so many papers; he told us that we won’t be paid match bonuses at the World Cup because FIFA had already given each player $30,000 for the group stage. He also said we won’t get 30 per cent from the $1,560,000 FIFA would give the NFF.”

The unnamed player added, “We were shocked, team morale went down immediately because we couldn’t believe what the man was saying.

“One of the oldest players in the team asked him if FIFA would deduct the money ($30,000) they would give us from the $1.5m they gave the federation but he (Sanusi) said no. So, she said if its like that, then it shouldn’t affect our match bonuses. After several minutes of argument, Sanusi asked us if we would have preferred the $9,000 match bonus or the $30,000 from FIFA.”

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