The chairman of the Nigerian Women’s Football League (NWFL), Aisha Falode has insisted that FIFA would pay the 2023 Women’s World Cup (WWC) prize money through the country’s federation.
Following the qualification of the Super Falcons to the second round of the tournament, FIFA secretary-general, Fatma Samoura was reported to have said that the world football governing body had changed its policy of player remuneration due to unpaid allowance issues involving the country’s women’s football team.
Samoura said the prize money would be “ring-fenced” to make sure it gets to the players without interference from a third party.
However, in a chat with Lagos Talks FM on Wednesday, Falode said that the Nigeria Football Federation would receive the funds from which to pay the Super Falcons.
“FIFA did not say it would pay the players directly. It says working through the member association – working through your federations, we will pay you this money through the federations.
“FIFA will pay the federations the money, and the federation pays the players with the instruction. Everybody knows it is there in black and white”, Falode said.
Every player participating in the FIFA World Cup group stage will earn $30,000. The match bonuses will rise to $60,000 in the second round of the competition.