NFF begs Falcons over AWCON debts

The Nigeria Football Federation has pledge to pay the Super Falcons their entitlements for winning the Africa Women Cup of Nations (AWCON) in Cameroun.
The Falcons pipped hosts and neighbours, the Indomitable Lionesses 1-0 on Saturday in Yaoundé to claim their eighth African title.
NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi said that the federation is not happy owing players and coaches, but present severe economic challenges mean that it can only continue to seek the understanding of these persons until the situation improves.
“There is no gain saying that there is severe economic challenges and all organisations, whether government or private are feeling the pinch.
“It is not government’s doing, it is not anybody’s doing. We know we have financial commitment to you, players and officials of Super Falcons and we have not at any time stated otherwise, but the money is not readily available at the moment.
“As I speak with you we are still owing the Super Eagles for the matches against Zambia and Algeria but the memos have gone to government and are being looked at.
“We did the memo for the Africa Women Cup of Nations in October and it is being processed as we speak,” said Sanusi.
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 N500,000.
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.