NIGERIA’S FALCONS IN THE DARK OVER PAY,
NO CASH FOR STAR DEFENDER’S SURGERY

Okobi in wheel chair on arrival from AWCON in Cameroon

There is now a silent but dangerous standoff
between African champions Super Falcons and
the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) as the team have still been left in the dark as regards their bonuses and allowances.

“No official has been to see the girls at the Agura Hotel. There has been no message from the office (NFF). We are all in the dark as concerns our money,” a team official opened up.

Earlier, top officials had suggested the team will
be attended to when the banks reopen for
business today.

We have now further learnt that the players were paid 500,000 Naira each and officials received 400,000 Naira for them not to boycott their AWCON semi-final against South Africa.

“What we are all asking now is what was the
money meant for? Part of our bonuses or
allowances?”

The cash situation is so serious that star defender Onome Ebi’s injured arm cannot be operated on at the National Hospital in Abuja.

Ebi suffered a serious arm injury and barely
managed to finish the AWCON final against
Cameroon on Saturday.

The cost of the surgery has been put at 500,000 Naira.

The NFF have not been forthcoming with the
money for the surgery, while raising serious
questions about whether the team were insured
for the biennial championship.

Midfielder Ngozi Okobi also suffered a leg injury in the final and had to be ferried on a wheel chair on arrival at the airport in Nigeria.