WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
Asisat Oshoala hails FIFA for direct Women’s World Cup payment to players
Barcelona and Nigeria striker Asisat Oshoala believes players will be inspired by the financial rewards Fifa is putting in place for the Women’s World Cup.
Each player will take home at least $30,000 from the tournament, with all 23 members of the winning team guaranteed $270,000 as part of a $110m total prize pool.
Five-time African player of the year Oshoala says the funds going straight to players rather than federations is a major step forward.
“I’m happy things are beginning to change and players don’t have to be dependent on their federations for income from World Cup appearances alone,” she told BBC Sport Africa.
“It’s really is interesting to see such development because it will serve as a motivation to the players.”
Reigning African champions South Africa are joined by Nigeria, who have been ever-presents at the event, plus Morocco and Zambia at this year’s tournament co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
The minimum $30,000 in direct prize money is more than twice the average salary of $14,000 for paid players surveyed in FIFA’s 2022 benchmarking report.
With a lack of sponsorship, investment and a growing number of struggling clubs on the continent, many Africa-based footballers often rely on earnings from the national teams.
Africa’s most successful national side, Nigeria’s women’s team – the Super Falcons – have been in the public eye previously after protests by players relating to unpaid bonuses and allowances at continental and global tournaments.
At the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France, the Nigeria players threatened a sit-in protest over unpaid salaries and bonuses after their last-16 elimination by Germany.
But Oshoala, who made scoring appearances at the 2015 and 2019 World Cup tournaments, is confident the latest Fifa distribution model, which has been endorsed by global players union Fifpro, can prevent another embarrassment.
“It’s not always a good look to stage protests because all the players want to do is focus on the football,” the Barcelona star added.
Cash boost for African federations
For the upcoming Women’s World Cup, member associations will also receive increased funding based on performance, with winners taking home $4.29m and delegations earning $1.56m for participating in the group stage.
Should the African teams progress beyond the group stages, there is an increased $1.87m and $2.18m on offer for the federations in the last 16 and quarter-finals respectively.
Fifa has made it clear to national federations that it expects that the amount retained by member associations will be reinvested in their footballing activities, including coaching staff, grassroots projects, youth national teams and women’s football capacity-building programmes.
This move will help improve the game on the African continent, according to Oshoala, a two-time European Women’s Champions League winner with Barcelona.
“This means Fifa will monitor these funds and make sure they’re channelled to the right places and players can also benefit from it individually,” she said.
The tournament will begin on July 20, with Nigeria opening their campaign against Canada in Melbourne a day later before facing Australia and the Republic of Ireland in Brisbane.
Nigeria are the only African team to have played in all eight Women’s World Cups since 1991, but the Super Falcons have failed to translate their continental dominance to the world stage.
Their best performance at the World Cup came when reaching the quarter-finals in 1999, while they also reached the knockout stages in 2019, losing 3-0 to Germany.
For their second appearance on the World Cup stage, South Africa have been paired in a tricky Group G against Sweden, Italy and Argentina.
Debutants Zambia will be facing 2011 world champions Japan, Spain and Costa Rica in Group C.
Africa’s other representative Morocco will battle two-time World Cup winners Germany, Colombia and South Korea in Group H.
Players from teams who reach the last-16 stage each receive $60,000, while $90,000 will be paid to those in the quarter-finals.
-BBC
Nigeria’s U17 girls, Flamingos will gun for the maximum points when they take on their counterparts from New Zealand on Wednesday night in what is the first match of this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals in the Dominican Republic.
Although the game between the host nation Dominican Republic and Ecuador (the other fixture in Group A) is billed as the opening match, Nigeria and New Zealand will do battle at the CFC Stadium in Santiago de los Caballeros from 4 pm local time (9 pm in Nigeria), while the host nation and Ecuador will square up as from 9 pm local time (2 am Thursday in Nigeria).
Bronze medallists in the last edition of the competition in India, the Flamingos are aiming to go farther this time, with Head Coach Bankole Olowookere insisting that he has the ammunition to overcome opponents on their way.
“I have confidence in the girls to deliver the goods at this competition. We have come well-prepared to do even better than we did in India. The Nigeria Football Federation has done everything to prepare the team well, with a two-week final camping here in the Dominican Republic.
“We do not under-rate any of our opponents. However, we will take it one match at a time and produce our best in each game in order to go all the way.”
The Flamingos have previously missed taking part in only one edition of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals – the 2018 finals in Uruguay.
In the qualifying campaign for this year’s finals, the Nigerian girls notched 25 goals in six matches, with 13 of them scored by clinical forward Harmony Chidi.
After the encounter with New Zealand on Wednesday night, the Flamingos will confront their counterparts from Ecuador, also at the CFC Stadium in Santiago de los Caballeros, before their final group phase game against the host nation at the Felix Sanchez Stadium in Santo Domingo. The clash with Ecuador is on Saturday, 19th October while the battle with the host nation is on Tuesday, 22nd October.
Head Coach Bankole Olowookere has listed Captain Taiwo Afolabi and forwards Harmony Chidi and Peace Effiong in his 21-woman Flamingos’ roster for this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals in the Dominican Republic.
The clinical Chidi scored 13 of the team’s record-setting 25 goals in the qualifying series, as the bronze medallists from the last edition of the championship in India barnstormed their way past Central African Republic, Burkina Faso and Liberia in the continental campaign.
Petite midfielder Afolabi will lead the midfield, alongside Faridat Abdulwahab, Shakirat Moshood and Ayomide Rotimi, while first-choice goalkeeper Christiana Uzoma will have Sylvia Echefu and Elizabeth Boniface pushing her to her best all the time.
Taiwo Adegoke leads six other defenders, with Harmony Chidi leading six other forwards including Peace Effiong.
Nigeria will compete in Group A of the 16-nation finals alongside host nation Dominican Republic, Ecuador and New Zealand.
The delegation of Flamingos will depart the shores of Nigeria aboard a Turkish Airlines flight on Tuesday, 1st October for a two-week training tour in Santo Domingo, capital city of the Dominican Republic, ahead of the commencement of the tournament.
FLAMINGOS FOR FIFA U17 WORLD CUP DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 2024
Goalkeepers: Christiana Uzoma (Edo Queens); Elizabeth Boniface (Sunshine Queens); Sylvia Echefu (Confluence Queens)
Defenders: Prisca Nwachukwu (Imo Strikers); Jumai Adebayo (Naija Ratels); Taiwo Adegoke (Remo Stars Ladies); Rokibat Azeez (New Generation Academy); Hannah Ibrahim (Remo Stars Ladies); Vivian Ekezie (Heartland Queens); Ololade Isiaka (Abia Angels)
Midfielders: Taiwo Afolabi (Delta Queens); Faridat Abdulwahab (Nasarawa Amazons); Shakirat Moshood (Bayelsa Queens); Muinat Rotimi (Nakamura Football Academy)
Forwards: Oghenemairo Obruthe (City Sports); Harmony Chidi (Imo Strikers); Kudirat Arogundade (Green Foot); Ramotalahi Kareem (Honey Badgers); Aishat Animashaun (Naija Ratels); Peace Effiong (Rivers Angels); Blessing Ifitezue (Delta Queens)
FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup Dominican Republic 2024
Group A: Dominican Republic, Ecuador, New Zealand, Nigeria
Group B: Spain, USA, Korea Republic, Colombia
Group C: Korea DPR, Mexico, Kenya, England
Group D: Japan, Poland, Brazil, Zambia
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has announced the appointment of Justin Madugu as a temporary successor to America’s Randy Waldrum, who has stepped down.
The NFF announced that its decision was based on the recommendation of its Technical and Development Sub-Committee. Coach Justin Madugu will lead the remaining technical crew and take charge of the Senior Women National Team, Super Falcons, pending the appointment of a substantive Head Coach.
The Super Falcons’ next big engagement is the Women Africa Cup of Nations finals, taking place in Morocco in the summer of next year.
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