We begged for money to celebrate Christmas – Flamingos players
Seventy-two days after beating Germany to finish third at the U-17 Women's World Cup in India, Flamingos players and officials have yet to receive their allowances and match bonuses, some of the players telling The PUNCH they practically went begging for money to celebrate the Christmas party.
Our correspondent has learned that if their camping allowances from February 6 to June 5, 2022 have been paid, the team bonuses for the qualifying matches played against Congo, Egypt and the Ethiopia had not yet been paid.< /p>
World Cup bonuses for matches against Chile, New Zealand, USA and Germany had also not been paid to Flamingos officials and players .
One of the players, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of persecution, said she and her teammates begged for money to celebrate Christmas and the New Year.
"The NFF hasn't paid us our match bonuses and a few other perks yet and that's what we need to survive," the player told The PUNCH.
"Since we came back from India, we haven't heard anything and we are already losing hope. Some of us are not as privileged as other children and we had to beg money to celebrate Christmas and the New Year."
Another Flamingos player added: “Christmas was hell for me because I was broke. haven't received any other bonuses yet and that's discouraging.
"Football is all I know and that's what I intend to use to take care of myself but unfortunately we still owe our match bonuses and such benefits of world cup qualifiers i have messaged relatives asking them to send me money to celebrate christmas but in reality i was the one who should have sent them money afterwards having played in the World Cup.
"We have heard that some people have repaid their financial commitments to the team, but we have not yet received them from the NFF.
"NFF President Ibrahim Gusau and Alhaji Balele both pledged us $10,000 each for winning the third place match, while Naija Ratels founder Paul Edeh also promised the team the sum of N3 .1m. We hope that the Presidency will help us because some of us are practically begging for money."
Our correspondent also discovered that the Falconets players, who lost in the quarter-finals of the 2022 U-20 Women's World Cup in Costa Rica, were also not paid .
One of the team's best players told The PUNCH: "Since I came back from the World Cup in August, I haven't visited my home country because no one will believe a World Cup player can't even buy socks for her friends.
"We played eight qualifiers to qualify for the World Cup and we only received 50,000 naira each for qualification. In the World Cup itself, we only received received only $500 camp allowance, while the NFF pledged to pay us our bonuses. As I speak to you, we haven't heard from them. I couldn't send anything to my family for Christmas and New Year's Eve.
"After sleeping on the bare floor at Istanbul airport in Turkey, we only received 40,000 naira each for road transport to our various states in the middle of the "insecurity in the country. They couldn't even pay for our return flights. And now they have refused to pay us our money."
NFF General Secretary Dr. Mohammed Sanusi declined to comment on the matter and directed our correspondent to the federation's communications director, Ademola Olajire.
"They haven't been paid but they will be," Olajire said when contacted. "I don't work in accounts (ministry) but I know they will be paid whatever is due to them."
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Seventy-two days after beating Germany to finish third at the U-17 Women's World Cup in India, Flamingos players and officials have yet to receive their allowances and match bonuses, some of the players telling The PUNCH they practically went begging for money to celebrate the Christmas party.
Our correspondent has learned that if their camping allowances from February 6 to June 5, 2022 have been paid, the team bonuses for the qualifying matches played against Congo, Egypt and the Ethiopia had not yet been paid.< /p>
World Cup bonuses for matches against Chile, New Zealand, USA and Germany had also not been paid to Flamingos officials and players .
One of the players, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of persecution, said she and her teammates begged for money to celebrate Christmas and the New Year.
"The NFF hasn't paid us our match bonuses and a few other perks yet and that's what we need to survive," the player told The PUNCH.
"Since we came back from India, we haven't heard anything and we are already losing hope. Some of us are not as privileged as other children and we had to beg money to celebrate Christmas and the New Year."
Another Flamingos player added: “Christmas was hell for me because I was broke. haven't received any other bonuses yet and that's discouraging.
"Football is all I know and that's what I intend to use to take care of myself but unfortunately we still owe our match bonuses and such benefits of world cup qualifiers i have messaged relatives asking them to send me money to celebrate christmas but in reality i was the one who should have sent them money afterwards having played in the World Cup.
"We have heard that some people have repaid their financial commitments to the team, but we have not yet received them from the NFF.
"NFF President Ibrahim Gusau and Alhaji Balele both pledged us $10,000 each for winning the third place match, while Naija Ratels founder Paul Edeh also promised the team the sum of N3 .1m. We hope that the Presidency will help us because some of us are practically begging for money."
Our correspondent also discovered that the Falconets players, who lost in the quarter-finals of the 2022 U-20 Women's World Cup in Costa Rica, were also not paid .
One of the team's best players told The PUNCH: "Since I came back from the World Cup in August, I haven't visited my home country because no one will believe a World Cup player can't even buy socks for her friends.
"We played eight qualifiers to qualify for the World Cup and we only received 50,000 naira each for qualification. In the World Cup itself, we only received received only $500 camp allowance, while the NFF pledged to pay us our bonuses. As I speak to you, we haven't heard from them. I couldn't send anything to my family for Christmas and New Year's Eve.
"After sleeping on the bare floor at Istanbul airport in Turkey, we only received 40,000 naira each for road transport to our various states in the middle of the "insecurity in the country. They couldn't even pay for our return flights. And now they have refused to pay us our money."
NFF General Secretary Dr. Mohammed Sanusi declined to comment on the matter and directed our correspondent to the federation's communications director, Ademola Olajire.
"They haven't been paid but they will be," Olajire said when contacted. "I don't work in accounts (ministry) but I know they will be paid whatever is due to them."
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