By: Chinedum Ohanusi
The call by former players and legends of the nation’s senior women’s football team, the Super Falcons that the presidency should extend the kind gesture splashed on members of the team that conquered the rest of Africa, by winning an unprecedented 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title, in Rabat, Morocco have continued to grow louder, whilst receiving endorsements of astute administrators.
The endorsements followed a one page statement made available to the media, and seen by Sports Day Newspaper, last week, in which the former Falcons players said following their collective appeals to the federal government, through the leadership of the National Sports Commission (NSC), they have been told that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is being briefed on the need to redeem the unfulfilled
promises made to the former players.
Spokesperson of the group under the aegis of United ex-Super Falcons Worldwide, Patience Avre-Odeli also asserted that she has the assurances of the NSC Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko that those who won the other nine trophies, before Mission X was accomplished, would be recommended for reasonable compensation, being that they brought glory to the countey.
“During our time, we were given ‘golden’ presidential handshakes, promised ‘golden’ cards, and apartments by President Obasanjo. But till date none of those were fulfilled, and with the benefit of hindsight, that’s looking at the sterling rewards, and awards bestowed on the current crop of players, anyone in our group would feel cheated”.
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The strong opinion of Avre, a prolific winger in her days, but is now a mother of three, based in the United States, were echoed by a former Secretary General of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA), Mallam Sani Ahmed Toro, who also took to his Social Media page to voice his support for the appeals by the players, and the assurances of the NSC hierarchy that they are convinced that escalating the matter to the presidency is the right thing to do.
The advocacy of Toro, who is one of the best scribes of both the NFA and NFF, before his brief stint in politics saw him become a one term member of the House of Representatives, and is now the Yarima Toro was lauded by Mr. Harrison Jallah, factional Chairman of the county’s Players’ Union.
While thanking President Tinubu for the cash rewards, apartments, and national Honours Award of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) showered on players and officials of the 2025 WAFCON champions; Jallah noted that a hundred thousand Naira to each player, was huge and compelling, and he hopes that steps would be taken to revisit all pending unfulfilled promises made to Sports persons, as reward for writing the name of the country in gold”.
Patience Avre-Odeli, who featured in three WAFCON tournaments, played key roles in the Falcons FIFA World Cup campaigns of 1995, 1999 and 2003; and was also in the Falcons team to the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, said she was optimistic the NSC will take up their plea, as they all look forward to President Tinubu, and the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, graciously hosting them at the Aso Rock Villa, soon.
