bonus line; Don’t blame the Super Falcons if the team fails

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Former Super Eagles striker Jonathan Akpoborie has told the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) not to blame the Super Falcons if the team fails to shine at the 2023 Women’s World Cup in New Zealand and in Australia.

He made this known against the backdrop of NFF General Secretary Dr Mohammed Sanusi flatly telling players at a meeting that the federation would not pay match bonuses because FIFA had already announced that each of them would receive the whopping sum of $30,000 in the group stage of the tournament.

However, the players opposed such a decision and vowed to boycott their first game in the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 against Canada.

This won’t be the first time the Falcons have been embroiled in a bonus dispute with the NFF at an international tournament.

After winning WAFCON 2004 in South Africa, the African record champions refused to return home, insisting they get their bounties first.

In addition, they staged a sit-in protest at their hotel in Abuja in 2016, after returning from Cameroon with an eighth WAFCON trophy, to press their demands for each player to receive $16,500 after winning.

Teams captain Desire Oparanozie was stripped of her captaincy and sent off after leading a bonus protest at the 2019 World Cup in France, while the team also boycotted training sessions ahead of their game for third place against Zambia at last year’s WAFCON in Morocco. same problem.

With days to go before the teams opener against Canada, Akpoborie, in a chat with Completesports.com, said the players’ mindset has been disrupted by the NFF with the latest bonus row saga.

The former Wolfsburg star has warned it will take a miracle to see the Super Falcons excel in the tournament.

It is a great disgrace to our football that when other countries are gearing up and focusing on their opening game of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, Nigeria is still struggling with a bonus problem.

Now is not the time for the NFF to disenfranchise players. How long are we going to continue like this, especially when our women represent the country in major tournaments.

The simple truth is that it will take luck for players to get motivated and focused on the task at hand. If the team fails to shine, please don’t blame them.

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