The United Ex-Super Falcons Worldwide, an organization for former players of the women’s national team, has praised the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), for swiftly disbursing 30 percent of the $1 million prize money awarded for winning the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
The group noted that the funds, sent by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) were allocated just a month after Nigeria’s thrilling 3-2 win against the host nation Morocco in Rabat on July 26, 2025.
Patience Avre-Odeli, the interim chairperson of the group, remarked on Monday, September 8, that the promptness of the payment was unprecedented in the team’s history.
”We, the members of United Ex-Super Falcons (Worldwide), are extremely pleased with the NFF’s quick action. This type of rapid response is essential for the team to maintain unity and concentration,” Avre-Odeli stated in a press release.
”It establishes a positive example, and we hope it evolves into a consistent practice rather than a one-time occurrence.”
The Falcons have a history of conflicts with the NFF regarding unpaid bonuses and inadequate treatment.
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In 2016, following their victory in WAFCON in Cameroon, the team conducted a sit-in protest in Abuja, refusing to leave their hotel until their allowances and bonuses were paid.
In 2019, during the FIFA Women’s World Cup in France, players once again boycotted training, alleging that the federation owed them match fees and allowances.
Avre-Odeli, who was part of the inaugural Falcons squad that won the WAFCON in 1998 and reached the quarter-finals of the 1999 Women’s World Cup, acknowledged that her generation received minimal or no compensation for their accomplishments.
”It’s regrettable that during our era, both the federation and the government did not sufficiently reward our efforts,” she expressed.
”We fought valiantly for our country, but there was no framework in place to safeguard us.”
Nonetheless, Avre-Odeli stated that her group would persist in advocating for retired players, many of whom were overlooked during the formative years of women’s football in Nigeria.
