Nigerian President Bola Tinubu hailed the women’s national football team for their victory at the recent Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) at a grand celebratory reception where he promised them gifts and cash rewards.
Hosting them at Aso Rock, the presidential residence, on Monday, Tinubu announced each player would get a $100,000 (£75,000) plus a three-bedroom apartment.
The 24-woman squad cheered when they heard the news, but there have been criticism in the past that prizes promised by Nigerian governments have not materialised.
Nigeria’s Super Falcons – as the team is known – defeated hosts Morocco 3-2 on Saturday in a stunning second-half comeback, clinching their 10th Wafcon title.
Tinubu said the victory was a “triumph of courage, determination and consistency” adding that at some point “didn’t want to watch the match” because of the stress.
“Today, you returned home as champions of Africa,” he said. “We could not be prouder.”
On their arrival at the main airport in the capital, Abuja, the team had been welcomed by traditional dancers, drummers, journalists and government officials. They were then escorted to the presidential residence in a convoy.
Tinubu conferred national honours, the Officer of the Order of the Niger, to all the players and staff, saying this was “on behalf of a grateful nation”.
Captain Rasheedat Ajibade said that her team’s victory was for “every young girl in our villages, towns and cities who dares to dream”.
She also outlined her vision for the Super Falcons to become the best team in the world but said this can only happen with continued support from the football federation and government.
The Super Falcons have won 10 of the 13 editions of Wafcon since it began in1998. The president described the latest win as a “milestone in the history of sport”.
While the players celebrated the extra gifts from the president, in the past, both the men’s and women’s national football teams in Nigeria have had repeated issues with the authorities over delayed payment of bonuses and salaries.
The government has only just honoured its three-decade promise of new homes for the victorious men’s team, the Super Eagles, which won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Super Falcons have several times been involved in sit-in protests during major tournaments over pay issues, including after their 2023 Women’s World Cup run.
There has also been concerns over pay disparities, and in recent years, fans have called for them to be paid the same as the Super Eagles.
Ahead of their final match on Saturday, Tinubu reportedly approved players’ match allowances and bonuses, including backdated payments, adding that this would the standard practice in the future.