Izuchukwu Okosi
Nine-time African champions Super Falcons of Nigeria refused to train on Wednesday ahead of their third-place final of the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco against Zambia on Friday evening reports Prime Business Africa.
The Falcons who will not be defending their title in Morocco after losing to the hosts 5-4 on penalties (1-1 in regulation time) have been owed a backlog of match bonuses before the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations began.
The ladies had not let the bonus issue affect them and even endorsed an unlikely third term regime of incumbent Nigeria Football Federation President Amaju Pinnick.
However the mood in the Falcons changed ahead of the game against Zambia as sources close to the team indicate that the players are worried that their monies will be accumulated after prosecuting the game in overs 48 hours.
However speaking to the NFF TV Wednesday afternoon, NFF Executive Member, Ibrahim Gusau said the Federation has approached the team and their officials to clarify things.
“We have met with the Super Falcons players & officials at their hotel. We have explained the payment process to them.”
The team despite the disappointment of not retaining their title qualified as one of the four teams with automatic berths for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Triumph at the 2022 WAFCON could have been the 10th for the Falcons who have only missed out on the podium in 2008 and 2012 since the inaugural edition in 1998.
The 1991 and 1995 African Women’s Cup of Nations tournaments were not acknowledged by CAF as official as the women’s game on the African continent only began at the 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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