The recent performance of Nigeria’s female senior national female team, the Super Falcons, was indeed the tonic needed by Nigerians amid the gloom that permeated the country due to the high cost of living occasioned by the hike in fuel price.
For the two weeks, beginning July 30, that the team participated in the tournament, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, the senior female team brought cheers to football fans across the country. And as usual, Nigerians were united in cheering on the team.
The Super Falcons were initially not given much chance given that they were drawn in what was regarded as the “group of death’’ alongside Olympic gold medalists, Canada, host Australia and Ireland.
They were not also given much attention by football fans in Nigeria, following the unpleasant condition in which they left for the tournament. First, there was a spat between the team’s coach and the Nigerian Football Federation, over his unpaid salary and the team is being owed by the federation match bonuses since 2019.
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It was a huge surprise when the girls held the Olympic champions, Canada to a 1-1 draw, beat host, Australia 3-2 and played a goalless draw against Ireland in their last match. The Falcons were second on the table, behind Australia, in the group stage. Worthy of note is the fact that they did not lose any match in the first round.
The Super Falcons went ahead to put on a scintillating performance in the round of 16 against the English side. They lost the match 2- 4 in a penalty shoot-out against the current European champions after 120 minutes of play. It was a match that many football pundits said the Falcons ought to have won, having dominated the game and had better chances.
The performance of the girls nevertheless brought relief and praise to Nigerians across the country. It further demonstrated the zeal and determination of Nigerians, particularly our youth, to excel under any circumstance, if given the chance.
Daily Trust commends the girls for making Nigeria proud and urges them not to see their exit as a failure. Rather, they should celebrate their performance and use it as stepping stone to achieve better results next time.
This is necessary in view of the fact that the team will have more challenges ahead which require more determination and team work. In fact the team’s next challenge is to qualify for the 2024 Olympics due in Paris, which Nigerians are very hopeful for.
From their display at the World Cup tournament, we believe that the team has the talent to make Nigeria proud.
Unfortunately, we find it difficult to say the same to our football administrators in the handling of our national teams. It is hard to comprehend how the federation will still be owing the players match bonuses and allowance since 2019. We recall that the players had to stage protests at different times to bring attention to their plight, yet officials of the NFF did not deem it necessary to pay the players.
This did not stop at the players as the coach is also being owed his salaries. In protest against the federation, the coach decided not to travel to Nigeria at the end of their match against England.
This attitude of our football administrators must be brought to an immediate stop. Daily Trust demands the immediate payment of all allowances due to the players.
It is on that note that we welcome the decision of the football world governing body, FIFA, to pay allowances from the ongoing tournament directly to players. Fatma Samoura, FIFA secretary-general, who made the disclosure noted that the decision is due to unpaid allowance issues involving the Super Falcons of Nigeria. It is sad that NFF’s action has been noted at an international level.
We, therefore, call on the federal government to ensure that the players are paid all their allowances and that adequate preparation is made for their participation in subsequent tournaments.
We also call for a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the non-payment of allowances to players by the NFF. The outcome of such investigation should be made public while those responsible for bringing Nigeria into disrepute are punished accordingly.
It is quite unfortunate that over the years the NFF has been largely known for its failures to meet up to its obligations to our players which most often lead to poor preparation and failure at football tournaments. This must stop for the sake of our teeming youth who want to do their nation proud and for a better image of Nigeria. All stakeholders should work together to grow Nigeria’s football.
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