{"id":2761,"date":"2025-07-29T05:21:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-29T05:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chinaacheru.com\/?p=2761"},"modified":"2025-09-29T08:11:17","modified_gmt":"2025-09-29T08:11:17","slug":"the-super-falcons-largesse-audio-or-reality-deserved-or-not","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chinaacheru.com\/staging\/the-super-falcons-largesse-audio-or-reality-deserved-or-not\/","title":{"rendered":"The Super Falcons\u2019 Largesse: Audio or Reality? Deserved or Not?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On Monday, a visibly overjoyed Nigerian president hosted members of the Super Falcons to a lavish reception at the Presidential Villa \u2014 and made the kind of grand pronouncements we\u2019ve come to expect at moments like this.

Let\u2019s be honest: many Nigerians were not expecting what came out of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu\u2019s mouth. And as soon as the words landed, so did the debates.

Sure, we all expected that he would gift the team some money \u2014 that\u2019s now routine after a major win. But not many imagined the players would be walking away with $100,000 each \u2014 that\u2019s approximately \u20a6150 million at today\u2019s exchange rate. Nor did we expect that members of the technical crew would each receive $50,000.

And that\u2019s not all. The president also announced the award of three-bedroom homes to every player and coach, along with national honours: the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON).

This is a big deal. While monetary gifts and national honours have become expected for male teams that win continental or global tournaments, this is the first time such a gesture has been extended to the women\u2019s team. It\u2019s long overdue. But trust Nigerians \u2014 the moment the news broke, the argument started.

Should He or Shouldn\u2019t He?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Bola
Nigeria’s president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n


Nigerians are a complicated people \u2014 and proud of it. For every person applauding the gesture, another is questioning its legitimacy.

One group wants to know where the money is coming from. \u201cWhich budget was this part of?\u201d they ask. Others insist the president shouldn\u2019t be praised at all. “It\u2019s not his money \u2014 it\u2019s public funds,” they argue. And then, of course, there\u2019s the group that\u2019s suspicious of the whole thing \u2014 \u201cIsn\u2019t this just audio money?\u201d they say, referring to promises made with fanfare but never fulfilled.

And honestly, they might have a point.

History Repeats Itself?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Falcons<\/figure>\n\n\n\n


A quick look at Nigeria\u2019s track record shows this skepticism isn\u2019t unfounded.

Take the Super Eagles team of Tunisia ’94. Back then, President Sani Abacha announced that each player would receive a house for their AFCON win. But those houses were not handed over until 2025 \u2014 a full 31 years later. Yes, you read that right.

Or let\u2019s rewind to February 2013, when Nigeria won the AFCON in South Africa. President Goodluck Jonathan hosted the victorious Super Eagles in Abuja. Coach Stephen Keshi got \u20a610 million; assistant coaches and players received \u20a65 million each; and non-technical officials were given \u20a62 million apiece. Each player was also promised a plot of land in the FCT. National honours were conferred: CON for Keshi, OON for the assistants and captain, and MON for the rest.

But while the awards were given swiftly, did the players get the money and land just as fast? Your guess is as good as mine.

Later that same year, in November 2013, the U-17 national team won the FIFA World Cup. They too were hosted at the Villa. Players received \u20a62 million each, the head coach \u20a63 million, assistants \u20a62.5 million, and other staff were awarded various sums.

So again \u2014 promises were made. But the question always lingers: Would they get it? Or wouldn\u2019t they?

The Tinubu Test<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Super<\/figure>\n\n\n\n


This is where President Tinubu has an opportunity to set himself apart.

The money and national honours? Those are relatively easy to deliver. They usually are. The challenge lies with the housing. That\u2019s where bureaucratic bottlenecks show up \u2014 long processes, missing files, ministries dragging their feet. But Tinubu can choose to be different.

Remember: it was his administration that finally delivered on the 1994 Super Eagles\u2019 housing promise. That counts for something. So why not make good on this housing promise in record time? Imagine if the Super Falcons received the keys to their homes within a month. It would silence the cynics \u2014 at least for a while.

Let\u2019s Be Honest…<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n


At the heart of this whole debate lies a larger issue: respect and recognition. The Super Falcons have consistently made Nigeria proud. They\u2019ve qualified for every Women\u2019s World Cup. They\u2019ve won more WAFCON titles than any other nation. Yet, they\u2019ve been treated like an afterthought.

So maybe this gesture isn\u2019t excessive. Maybe, just maybe, it\u2019s what they\u2019ve always deserved \u2014 and are finally getting.

Whether this ends up as yet another case of “audio largesse” or an example of true follow-through is something only time will tell.

But for now, let\u2019s allow the Super Falcons to celebrate. They’ve earned it.


<\/p>\n\n\n\n.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On Monday, a visibly overjoyed Nigerian president hosted members of the Super Falcons to a lavish reception at the Presidential Villa \u2014 and made the kind of grand pronouncements we\u2019ve come to expect at moments like this. Let\u2019s be honest: many Nigerians were not expecting what came out of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu\u2019s mouth. And […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2765,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_surecart_dashboard_logo_width":"180px","_surecart_dashboard_show_logo":true,"_surecart_dashboard_navigation_orders":true,"_surecart_dashboard_navigation_invoices":true,"_surecart_dashboard_navigation_subscriptions":true,"_surecart_dashboard_navigation_downloads":true,"_surecart_dashboard_navigation_billing":true,"_surecart_dashboard_navigation_account":true,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[30,31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2761","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-new-featured-sports-stories"],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/chinaacheru.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Super-Falcons.jpeg",1200,765,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/chinaacheru.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Super-Falcons-150x150.jpeg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/chinaacheru.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Super-Falcons-300x191.jpeg",300,191,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/chinaacheru.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Super-Falcons-768x490.jpeg",640,408,true],"large":["https:\/\/chinaacheru.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Super-Falcons-1024x653.jpeg",640,408,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/chinaacheru.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Super-Falcons.jpeg",1200,765,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/chinaacheru.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Super-Falcons.jpeg",1200,765,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"china","author_link":"https:\/\/chinaacheru.com\/staging\/author\/china\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"On Monday, a visibly overjoyed Nigerian president hosted members of the Super Falcons to a lavish reception at the Presidential Villa \u2014 and made the kind of grand pronouncements we\u2019ve come to expect at moments like this. Let\u2019s be honest: many Nigerians were not expecting what came out of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu\u2019s mouth. And…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chinaacheru.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2761","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chinaacheru.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chinaacheru.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chinaacheru.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chinaacheru.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2761"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chinaacheru.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2761\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chinaacheru.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2765"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chinaacheru.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2761"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chinaacheru.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2761"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chinaacheru.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2761"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}