NFF
President Amaju Pinnick will hand over the sum of $400,000 (N88million) to the
Super Falcons squad if they reach the final of this summer’s FIFA Women’s World
Cup finals in Canada.
“I am
telling you girls in all sincerity. If you get to the quarter -finals of the
World Cup, I am giving you $50,000. A spot in the semi finals will earn you the
sum of $100,000 and if you get to the final, I am indebted to you to the sum of
$250,000.
“I
have absolute faith in you. You have done this nation proud on several
occasions, winning seven African Women Championship titles out of nine editions.
You are daughters of glory and I see you performing beyond expectation at the
World Cup.”
The
Super Falcons have ony made the last eight of the global championship once,
when victories over North Korea and Denmark saw the team in the quarter finals
in the United States of America in 1999. But the squad led by Florence Omagbemi
lost out at that stage, beaten 4-3 after extra time by Brazil.
The
NFF boss, who spoke while meeting the African champions post-training session
at the FIFA Goal Project, National Stadium, Abuja on Wednesday,
also went philosophical in motivating the girls further.
“It
will not be easy, but nothing good comes easy. Beautiful roses grow on thorny
plants. You are going to play the likes of Sweden and the United States of
America, powerhouses in women’s football. But it should be in the back of your
minds that Nigeria is also a powerhouse in women’s football, a serious one for
that matter.
“There
will be plenty of odds, but that’s an everyday thing in life. Odds are meant to
propel you to go higher, move faster and become stronger.”
The Falcons, who have been training in
Abuja since last month, following a 9-1 aggregate thumping of Mali in the only
qualifying round for the Women’s Football Tournament of the All-Africa Games,
will depart Nigeria on Tuesday for a 16-day training camp in Toronto,
ahead of the 7thFIFA Women’s World Cup finals.
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