Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu on Monday celebrated the national women’s football team with gifts and honors following their dramatic 3-2 victory over host Morocco, securing a record 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title — all achieved under difficult conditions marked by poor preparation and unpaid allowances.
The Super Falcons' victory, achieved against a backdrop of administrative neglect, drew widespread praise from Tinubu and football fans across Nigeria. In a country where football is a national passion, such victories often reflect the players’ determination more than institutional support.
Despite their success, sports analysts highlighted the persistent mismanagement of the women’s team by Nigerian authorities. “They have managed to dominate even though the Nigerian soccer authorities do not put as much funding, care, attention, and planning into the way the women’s national team is run,” said Lagos-based analyst Solace Chukwu in an interview with The Associated Press.
Unequal Treatment
The team has long faced delayed payments, with match bonuses going unpaid for years — a situation that led to a training boycott in 2022. Although the players were progressing through the tournament in Morocco, the backlog was only approved by the president just before the final. They also lacked proper training kits and were unable to arrange competitive friendly matches ahead of the tournament.
Such challenges are not uncommon in Nigerian sports, which are frequently plagued by inadequate funding, corruption, and poor planning. These problems have even prompted some athletes to represent other countries.
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Women’s teams are often the most affected due to deep-rooted societal biases, said African sports analyst Oluwashina Okeleji. “The argument from the (Nigerian) federation is that the men bring more money than the women, but the truth is the women bring most prestige, honours, and titles to Nigeria,” he noted.
The Nigeria Football Federation, which governs soccer in the country, declined to comment on the accusations.
Success Without Support
The Super Falcons have long dominated women’s football in Africa, partly thanks to Nigeria launching the continent’s first women’s football league in 1978. But experts argue that this early lead has not been effectively leveraged for global success, largely due to the authorities’ failure to invest and plan.
“The men’s team is huge generally within the administration of Nigerian football as the cash cow,” Chukwu said, underscoring how funding priorities still lean heavily toward the men’s game.
Although the president has promised cash and property for the players, some fans remain skeptical about long-term change.
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“This one-time payment and apartment does not make any sense. For what? What they need is investment in the facilities, the staff, and payment. The lack of investment in women’s football is one of the reasons why it is not as high quality as the men’s,” said Funmi Obasa, a supporter of the women’s team based in Abuja.
Source: Agency