Five days before making their debut against Malawi, the Nigerian players have their minds far from the field. Despite their triumph in the previous edition of the tournament, players, coaches, and staff members have still not received the government bonuses promised for their continental crown. The amounts owed, ranging from $50,000 to over $100,000 per person, remain blocked and are poisoning the African champions' preparations.
"Administrative delays" as excuses
Faced with growing discontent, Nigerian authorities prefer to cite the complexity of governmental machinery. Questioned in London by journalist Ayo Olu Ibidapo, the president of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, sought to reassure by attributing this delay to budget constraints.
The executive asserts that the president approved the payment as early as August 2025, but that the “off-budget” nature of these expenditures requires a lengthy process between the Ministry of Finance and the office of the accountant general. Nearly a year later, still nothing. Authorities promise that the funds will indeed end up in the players' personal accounts, whether before or after the competition.
A recurring problem in Nigerian football
This rhetoric, however, struggles to convince a squad long accustomed to hollow promises. This latest standoff is part of a long and painful tradition of financial disputes within the continent's most decorated team. Back in 2004, after winning a title in South Africa, the Super Falcons launched a three-day sit-in in their Johannesburg hotel to demand their due.
In 2016, after yet another victory in Cameroon, the players occupied a hotel in Abuja for two weeks and then protested in front of Parliament to obtain their arrears. History repeated itself at the 2019 World Cup in France, with their refusal to leave their hotel in Grenoble after being eliminated, followed by a training boycott that disrupted the 2022 AFCON in Morocco during the third place match.
As they look to defend their title, the Nigerians once again find themselves forced to juggle athletic rigor with financial demands. This chronic institutional dysfunction highlights the persistent weaknesses in the governance of African women's football, even within its historic giant.
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À propos de l'auteur
Malick BAMBA
Rédacteur sportif
Le sport africain au quotidien, ces belles histoires et polémiques en tous genres.