By Ebun Sessou & Florence Amagiya

It is no longer news that Super Falcons of Nigeria defeated the Bayana Bayana of South Africa but what is news is the way the Super Falcons have been treated especially with their salaries over the years.

The just-concluded 2018 Africa Women Cup of Nations recorded another unfair treatment meted out to them during the match.

Although they have been paid, what is worrisome and needs urgent attention is why on earth the women would be denied their entitlement consistently thereby forcing them to stage a protest against unpaid salaries.

Following the event, WO gathered that in 2016, the Super Falcons of Nigeria on Wednesday, December 14 took to the streets of Abuja to protest the non-payment of salaries and allowances.

The women, WO learnt, beat the Cameroonian team to win the 2016 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations on Saturday, December 3.

In 2017, the players marched to the National Assembly Complex where Buhari was scheduled to present the 2017 Budget. In 2018, the Falcons were still denied their salaries and allowances. It took the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure the women were paid.

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The big question therefore, is: Why should the women be denied their salaries and bonuses despite their efforts and contributions to nation-building and development?

Speaking with WO, Godwin Izilein who led the Super Falcons to South Africa in 2004, where the girls won the tournament with a score of 18-2, said: “Älthough the Super Falcons have a reputation of making this nation proud everywhere they go; the team led by Coach Izilein is the best till date.

The 76-year-old coach explained that non-payment of salaries has been a norm in Nigeria.

According to him: “It is not just the Super Falcons but the Super Eagles also. I am a coach, l led the Super Falcons to South Africa in 2004 and they were not paid until they took drastic actions and l am yet to be paid till date.

“The girls and I were scheduled to travel to South Africa for the tournament but they said that they were not travelling because they had not been paid previously.

“I had to persuade them to go to South Africa because l had spoken to the Secretary who promised that they were going to be paid. So off we went to Johannesburg for the tournament.

“And you won’t believe but the girls played so well that they are the best till date. No other set of girls have played like the set that went to South Africa in 2004. It was 18 goals to 2 that year.

“The girls waited for their pay, but it was not coming and they had already stayed more than a week in their hotels. So they decided to remain in South Africa indefinitely; l had to start begging them and running from one Secretary to another Government official to pay the girls but the pay did not come.

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“The girls refused to leave their hotels until l was able to speak to the Nigerian Ambassador who paid them and they left for Nigeria. They promised that they would pay me when we get to Nigeria but till date, l haven’t been paid. These girls wanted to stay back in South Africa because returning home was futile for them as there was nothing to fall back on at home,” he said.

Reacting to the $1000 promised by the President of NFF, Mr Amaju Pinnick, he said: “Well, it is a good thing he made that promise as it made the players play better and it is also a good thing if they can keep their promises. Why make promises when you cannot keep them? How can you keep this particular promise when a backlog of debts has not been paid? Like l said, l am yet to be paid from 2004 and nobody is saying anything about it.

“Who can work continually without being paid? So if a worker doesn’t get paid when he or she ought to be paid; there is a tendency that he or she wouldn’t give his or her best when given the opportunity.

“ We most times complain that our players do not give their best when they are playing for the nation.”