Izuchukwu OkosiNigeria’s group opponents at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, Canada are enmeshed in pay dispute ahead of the tournament.
The players have insisted that the situation be settled before they head out for the tournament which runs between July 20 and August 20.
The Super Falcons will campaign in Group B against Canada, New Zealand and Republic of Ireland.
Christine Sinclair, who holds the international goalscoring record for the Canadians, told the Canadian Press that the team wants the issue settled before a pre-tournament camp on June 28.
“We’re not at a point where we’re not getting on a plane, but time’s coming where we want it done so as players we’re not having to deal with it while we’re trying to prepare,” Sinclair, told the Canadian Press.
“But us as a women’s team have flat out told the CSA (Canada Soccer Association) that we need a deal in place for at least the World Cup and this year before we head down there.
“I think it will happen. Will it be a long-term deal? No. But something will be done before the World Cup starts.”
The demand is the latest salvo in a bitter dispute that has seen the women’s team threaten job action.
During the SheBelieves Cup in the United States in February the Canadian women sat out a practice and had threatened to boycott the four-team tournament.
They played under protest but vowed future boycotts if their demands over pay equity were not met.
The team has been without a collective bargaining agreement since 2021 but have agreed to a new deal in principal although several issues remain unresolved.
Canadia are the Olympic champions. The seventh ranked Canadians open against Nigeria on July 21 in Melbourne.
The kickoff time is 4.30am Nigerian time.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
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