Nigeria’s Super Falcons were celebrated with high honors and financial rewards by President Bola Tinubu on Monday, following their historic 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) victory. At a ceremony in Abuja’s State House Banquet Hall, the national team and its technical crew received the prestigious Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) award, cash prizes, and housing grants—an acknowledgment of their dominant performance in Morocco.
Each player was awarded the naira equivalent of $100,000, while members of the 11-person coaching and support staff received $50,000 and a three-bedroom apartment in the Renewed Hope Estate, a federal housing project. Fresh from their arrival at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, the team attended the reception alongside top government officials, ministers, and sports administrators, with President Tinubu praising their unity and resilience. “Your triumph reflects courage, discipline, and national excellence,” he said, describing their decade-long dominance of African women’s football as a unifying achievement for Nigeria.
First Lady Oluremi Tinubu highlighted her husband’s commitment to sports development, expressing optimism about the Falcons’ global potential. “I told the President that the Falcons will win the World Cup,” she remarked, humorously acknowledging his skepticism about the ambitious goal. Meanwhile, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, announced an additional ₦10 million ($6,400) reward per player from state governors.
Team captain Rasheedat Ajibade called for sustained institutional support to elevate the squad’s competitiveness. “With world-class facilities, we can inspire future generations,” she said after presenting the WAFCON trophy to Tinubu. National Sports Commission Chairman Shehu Dikko tied the victory to the administration’s broader “Renewed Hope” agenda, stating that the win underscored sports’ role in national unity and economic growth.
The event, marked by ceremonial handshakes and group photographs, reinforced the Falcons’ symbolic status in Nigerian society, blending athletic excellence with aspirations for future global success.
