A few hours after Nigeria crashed out of the ongoing FIFA Women’s World Cup, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) had to issue a statement to counter a demand by FIFPRO, the world body of professional footballers, which had called on the federation to pay players of the Super Falcons what they are owed.
Indeed, it is no secret that the NFF is indebted to players of the different national teams and the federation is not denying it but the body seriously frowned at the statement from the FIFPRO which it described as mere storm in a tea-cup and relevance-seeking message.
However, to assuage the feelings of most Nigerians who supported the position of FIFPRO, the NFF took time to explain how it has no intention to tamper with the players’ prize money from FIFA. The football federation made it clear that it had even agreed with the players on what to pay them before FIFA stepped forward with the juicier package.
As it is now an open secret, had the Super Falcons beaten England in the Round of 16 match, each of them would have received $90,000 and not the $60,000 they will be getting now.
The NFF, therefore, assured the players once again that they are not going to be short-changed. In fact, the football governing body further promised that it would pay the couple of friendly matches and qualifying matches for which the players were being owed appearance fees and bonuses respectively. According to the NFF, this will happen as soon as the World Cup money is paid.
It will also be recalled that even before the statement from FIFPRO, a former Arsenal legend, Ian Wright had made a tweet that put the NFF in a very bad light. Shortly after the Super Falcons stunned co-host Australia 3-2 in their second group match, the former English forward called on the federation to pay the Super Falcons their money. That thoroughly embarrassed the NFF chieftains who would have loved to be praised for preparing a team that just dazzled at the world stage.
And to add insult to injury, the General Secretary of FIFA, Fatma Samoura, in a viral video said FIFA had decided to pay the 2023 World Cup prize money directly to the players without interference from a third party. According to her, the decision was due to issues of unpaid allowances involving the Super Falcons. However, a few hours later, FIFA, which had promised to pay the players directly, made a U-turn and said it would make use of the federations. Without a doubt, the latter decision was bad news for the players, especially the Super Falcons.
Now, I want us to look at what is at the centre of all that is happening. Of course, the NFF is not happy with FIFPRO and all those who are supporting the world body of professional footballers but whose fault is it? What does the NFF expect when trust is lost completely? The players don’t trust the football federation any longer because they have been nutmegged so many times. Instead of the talented footballers dribbling the NFF officials, they are the ones at the receiving end of the officials’ maradonic moves.
Unfortunately, the NFF does not condone any form of protest, whether peaceful or violent. Therefore, even the brave ones among the players have since been tamed. They can only whisper among themselves and to their close allies. I remember what happened to Desire Oparanozie when she spoke out. Until she wrote a letter of apology, she was losing her place in the Super Falcons. My own Francisca Ordega too was once gagged when she tried to champion a fight over unpaid allowances. I am sure she mellowed down and that is why she made the trip to Australia.
Although the whole world seems to have lost confidence in the NFF’s fiscal responsibility, I want to say when trust is lost, it can be restored. In fact, even when it is lost completely, it can be revived and made to work again. So, instead of showing aggression for being called out, the NFF should use the present opportunity to make amends. To restore trust, the NFF must apologise and promise that it won’t behave in the same manner again. There is no need to keep blaming others or things that didn’t happen. And the NFF must make players’ welfare a thing of priority in words and deeds.
For instance, the NFF will promptly credit accounts of the players once FIFA pays the prize money at the end of the ongoing World Cup, it will go a long way in rebuilding the trust that has been lost. But if the money arrives and we hear funny stories like the money is in a single treasury account or we need CBN’s approval before payment, it will be another round of disappointment. This is because these same cock and bull stories won’t be heard from the other countries that participated in the same World Cup. Apart from the prize money, I am sure FIFA has separate funds for the federations. Therefore, the NFF should resist the whiff of the players’ largesse from FIFA.
However, this is Africa where things are hard with almost everyone. So, the players too should show some understanding, if the NFF decides to ask for a small percentage of their money to take care of some ‘logistics’. Moreover, I doubt if FIFA has any special package for the coaches and the backroom staff. Maybe they are captured in the World Cup funds to be paid to the federations. In case there is nothing from FIFA for those who laboured day and night with the players, the Super Falcons should do something for them even without coercion or persuasion.
In view of the above, my verdict is that the NFF is only paying for the trust that it has lost long ago. However, we must not forget that the NFF that was notorious for owing players is gone. The present leadership is trying to launder the soiled image of the football federation but it must do so with utmost commitment and consistency. Therefore, the news making the rounds that players of the Flying Eagles squad to the 2023 World Cup in Argentina are owed $5,000 each is detrimental to the image laundering efforts of the new NFF. The time to restore the lost confidence is now.
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