By Obinna Uballa
Super Falcons captain, Rasheedat Ajibade, has voiced her frustration and disappointment over what she called “the continued delay in the payment of the $100,000 cash reward and other bonuses promised to the team after their Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) victory.”
Speaking on an upcoming episode of With Chude, hosted by media personality Chude Jideonwo, Ajibade revealed that despite repeated assurances from the authorities, none of the players have received the pledged funds.
“We have not received our money oo. Please, they have not paid. All the promises you heard back and forth, we have not received anything,” she said.
The 24-year-old forward added that while the players had been told the money had been allocated, nothing had been disbursed.
“People are begging. We have not received it. When they pay it, you will see. Even our match bonuses and everything… everything is still a work in progress,” she lamented, urging the authorities to keep their word.
President Bola Tinubu had, in July 2024, announced a $100,000 reward for each player, along with other bonuses, in recognition of the Falcons’ historic 10th WAFCON title win in Morocco.
Ajibade also used the interview to reflect on her early career, revealing that she played for FC Robo Queens in the Nigeria Women’s Football League for a decade without earning a salary.
She described her time in the league as “a tough moment” and spoke about her humble beginnings in Mushin, Lagos, where she grew up in a compound with nearly 100 people and earned money by cleaning toilets and bathrooms.
Ajibade rose through the ranks at FC Robo Queens before moving to Avaldsnes IL in Norway at age 17, and later signing for Atlético Madrid Femenino in 2021.
