[SPORT] Falcons denies AWCON boycott threat

Abuja – Super Falcon’s Media Officer, Remi Sulola, on Monday debunked claims that the team threatened to boycott the forthcoming 2016 African Women Cup of Nations (AWCON) over unpaid bonuses and allowances. Sulola said in Abuja that recent media report that the team threatened to boycott the event was false

The report had stated that the players were protesting against non-payment of their bonuses and allowances by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) after their qualifying matches, especially the encounter with Teranga Lionesses of Senegal in April. According to the report, the NFF had cited financial challenges as the reason for the delay in the payment. Sulola confirmed that the players had not been paid some allowances but said that they were training hard for the competition. “It is true that they are being owed, but the NFF had promised them that their money will be paid before the tournament begins.

“It is false and untrue for anyone to say that they had threatened to boycott the event or their trainings. “Money is actually the last thing on the players mind right now, because they are focused on defending and returning home with the trophy. “Most of the home-based players who are invited to camp did not participate in the qualifiers; those who were fully involved are the foreign-based, whom we are still expecting,” she said. Nigeria is in Group B with arch-rivals Ghana, Mali and Kenya in the tournament. The 10th AWCON is billed for Cameroon from Nov. 19 to Dec. 3.