Breaking…Women clubs praise NFF over $194,031.57 dollar rain

Francis Achi

The insistence of the Nigeria Football Federation that then Head Coach of the Super Falcons, Thomas Dennerby should include home-based professionals in his squad to last year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in France has paid off handsomely, with a total of 20 Nigerian women clubs benefitting from a FIFA windfall.

World football –governing body, FIFA pays an amount to clubs whose players are enlisted in the final squad of participating nations at both the men’s and women’s FIFA World Cup finals. That of the FIFA Women’s World Cup only started last year – the eighth edition of the competition.

The compensation payment was wide –ranging, with all the clubs that the players had featured for since the age of 12 benefitting. The windfall was huge for Nigeria women football clubs as all the 23 players on Nigeria’s final roster had either featured for clubs in the country before going abroad or are still on home team rosters.

A breakdown of the payments showed that Port Harcourt –based Rivers Angels – arguably the leading women’s club in the country – topped with a benefit in the sum of $45,500, with Nasarawa Amazons of Lafia in a distant second with the sum of $27,534, while Bayelsa Queens ran close behind with $27,103. FC Robo Queens of Lagos came fourth with $25,810.

Delta Queens of Asaba got the sum of $15,081, with the sum of $10,341 going to Coal City Babes and $7,756 going to Invincible Angels. Sao Paulo Queens smiled to the bank with $6,032.

In total, FIFA paid Nigeria clubs the sum of $194,031.57.

Analysis showed that the earnings are graduated from when the players started, from the age of 12, to their present employers. However, most recent clubs got the chunk, with current foreign clubs of the getting their money direct from FIFA, while the world body transferred monies of Nigerian clubs to the NFF.

A number of the clubs are yet to receive the monies because they do not have domiciliary accounts, but the NFF has insisted they open one to receive their payment.

In different telephone conversations, club managers praised the Nigeria Football Federation for urging Dennerby to pick a number of home girls for the championship, which has impacted positively on the Nigerian clubs, with football being a key youth empowerment sector for Nigerian youths.

Speaking exclusively tototorinews.com on this largesse from FIFA, Matilda Otuene, who doubles as Chairlady and General Manager of Rivers Angels of Portharcourt praised the efforts of NFF and other stakeholders in the development of women football, adding that the money from FIFA will further encourage them in growing the game in Nigeria.

“The FIFA money to clubs in Nigeria is a welcome development and the stakeholders of women football are very happy. This is how owners of women clubs and the players can be encounraged and continue to develop the game in the country,” Otuene told totorinews.

“The management of Rivers Angels and the government of the state will continue to develop women football in Nigeria,” she added.

The same shouts of praises to NFF and FIFA could be heard in the camp of FC Robo Queens of Lagos, the team that produced Asisat Oshoala and Rasheedat Ajibade in the Super Falcons, as Emmanuel Osahon, chairman of the club said that it is good to be rewarded for their labour in the development of women football in Nigeria and this is what the FIFA dollars to FC Robo represents.

“The financial compensation from FIFA is a good step towards the right direction. People like us are not forgotten since we don’t have government financial backing from anywhere. The FIFA money is like a reward for my labour over the years in women’s football in Nigeria,” Osahon said.

“FC Robo queens will continue to produce players for the women national team of Nigeria. We already have Monday Gift, that captained Nigeria to win the women’s football African Games gold medal in Morocco last year.

“We also have some teenage players in the Flamingoes camp in Abuja and everything working out fine, we expects more of our players to represent Nigeria at the FIFA tournament. We appreciate NFF for this FIFA money,” he said.

A total of seven home –based professionals made the Super Falcons’ final squad of 23 players for last year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in France. Rivers Angels had goalkeepers Tochukwu Oluehi and Chiamaka Nnadozie, midfielder Evelyn Nwabuoku and forward Alice Ogebe. FC Robo of Lagos had defender Chidinma Okeke; Bayelsa Queens had goalkeeper Alaba Jonathan and Nasarawa Amazons had midfielder Amarachi Okoronkwo.

ALL THE CLUBS THAT BENEFITTED

Abia Angels ($1,723.63)

Bayelsa Queens ($27,103.21)

C&C Sports Club ($861.82)

Clever Stars FC, Lagos ($2,585.45)

Coal City Babes ($10,341.78)

Delta Queens ($15,081.77)

Delta Youth Sports Academy ($3,447.26)

FC Robo Queens, Lagos ($25,810.49)

Ibom Angels ($1,292.72)

Invincible Angels FC ($7,756.34)

Iwundu Academy FC ($2585.45)

Living Boot Academy ($1,723.63)

Nasarawa Amazons FC ($27,534.12)

Novia Queens FC ($3,447.26)

Omidiran Babes FC ($2,585.45)

Pelican Stars FC ($4,309.08)

Remo United Queens FC ($1,723.63)

Rivers Angels FC ($45,500.34)

Sao Paulo Queens ($6,032.71)

YSFON Queens ($2,585.45