ABUJA, Nigeria – The ongoing tension between the Super Falcons and the Nigerian Football Federation, NFF, took another turn this week when an ad hoc committee issued a second summons for NFF President Ibrahim Gusau.
The committee, led by Chairman Blessing Onuh, investigates alleged payment discrepancies to the Super Falcons team following their commendable performance at the World Cup in Australia.
Gusau, who had initially been invited to appear before the committee, did not show up, sending Mohammed Sanusi, the Secretary General of the NFF, in his stead.
Sanusi cited the NFF president’s ill health as the reason for his absence.
However, the committee was not amenable to the explanation.
“Nigerians are interested, Nigerians are watching. The girls did extremely well and made Nigerians proud, so we shouldn’t take this investigative hearing lightly,” Onuh said on Wednesday, August 23, 2023.
“We allowed the president of NFF to appear before this ad hoc committee. I will say invariably he is the one summoning us; he came up with an excuse that is not as important as what we have.”
Onuh added that Gusau had the “effrontery to send his SA [Special Assistant] that he won’t be able to make it. He is taking us for a ride, and we will not tolerate it.”
Sanusi was dismissed from the meeting, and the committee made it explicit that they expect Gusau to appear in person at the next hearing scheduled for Thursday.
The face-off between the Super Falcons and the NFF has ignited a national conversation about the treatment of women’s sports in Nigeria, drawing in sports analysts, gender equity advocates, and concerned citizens alike.
“Let’s not forget that these athletes have represented Nigeria on a global stage and made us proud. The least that can be done is to treat them fairly and with the respect they deserve,” said Tolu Obi, a sports analyst.
The ongoing investigation has also raised questions about governance and transparency within Nigerian sporting bodies.
As the NFF president faces a second summons, the Nigerian public waits expectantly for outcomes that will not only resolve the current dispute but also set a precedent for fair treatment of athletes in the country.
