Super Falcon striker Ifeoma Onumonu has opened up on ‘unacceptable’ resources in Nigeria following their Women’s World Cup exit at the hands of England.
Onumonu, who led the line for the Super Falcons against the Lionesses, highlighted the difference in support that both teams receive back home.
‘I’ve seen what England has access to. In Nigeria we don’t have access to much.
‘Our training fields aren’t great. Where we sleep isn’t great. Sometimes we share beds, she revealed while speaking to the Dailymail in London.
‘It’s not good enough. In terms of recovery we don’t have much of any of that. We don’t have access to a gym in camp in Nigeria. There’s a lot that needs to be done.’
The 29-year-old who plays for Gotham FC added that it was hard to adjust at the tournament in Australia and New Zealand.
She said: ‘We do what we can because we love playing for our country but hopefully they make it easier for us to do our best Back home the pitches aren’t great. The grass is rocky, bumps everywhere. The stadium we play in for qualifying, you’d be surprised.
She also revealed that the under-20s side were ‘sleeping in airports for 24 hours’ after they were knocked out of the U20 World Cup in the quarter-finals last year.
‘That’s not acceptable. What we have to fight for is bigger than us,’ she said.
The Falcons impressed at this summer’s World Cup, going through their group unbeaten with draws against Canada and Republic of Ireland, with a victory over hosts Australia.
However, they considered a boycott of their first match in the tournament after they were informed they won’t be paid match bonuses.
Manager Randy Waldrum also heavily criticised the Nigerian Football Federation in two different podcasts, which included comments about failing to pay players, poor facilities, a cancellation of a pre-tournament camp and interference in selection matters and staff appointments.
Earlier this week, global players union’ FIFPRO released a statement on behalf of the Nigeria Women’s National team confirming they will assist the players in their ongoing dispute.
‘Following the Nigeria women’s national team’s elimination from the FIFA Women’s World Cup, FIFPRO can confirm it is assisting players in a disagreement with the Nigeria Football Federation concerning bonus payments, camp allowances and expenses, some of which date back to 2021.
‘During the World Cup, the players expressed the desire to remain focused on their performance without making public statements or facing other distractions. However, the Super Falcons believe that it is now time for the Nigeria Football Federation to honour their commitments and pay the outstanding amounts.
Leave a comment