By Akinwale Kasali
Super Falcons of Nigeria Captain and Four time African Female Footballer of the Year, Asisat Oshoala, has made a shocking revelation on the remuneration of Nigerian Female Footballers plying their trade in the Nigeria Women Professional League, NWPL.
The Barcelona Female Football Club of Spain forward said female footballers in the country are paid peanuts.
Oshoala disclosed that some female football players are paid N30, 000 monthly.
She lamented that this is happening because the government does not give due attention to female football in Nigeria.
The 25-year-old made the comment during an Instagram live chat with Channels Television.
While speaking about how to improve female football in Nigeria, the former Arsenal and Liverpool player said the leagues have to be constant, in addition, it ought to be paying more attention to the welfare of the footballers.
“The league has to be constant. They have to look into the welfare of the players,” she said.
She claimed that “Some players get paid, maybe N30,000, a month or maybe N60,000 maximum and that’s like a lot. They need to be more concerned about the welfare of the players.”
According to her, some teams go six months without playing big games, lamenting that “they are not just paying attention to the female league in Nigeria.”
Just like United State of American Female Football team Captain, Megan Anne Rapinoe, who advocated for the same renumeration like their male counterparts in USA, Oshoala is calling that Nigeria female teams earn same amounts as their male counterparts.
She argued that it is the right time to fight for such in the country, but people in authority think otherwise.
“We don’t have a proper structure in my country and then you want me to come and start saying I want the same amount you are paying the Super Eagles?” she said.
The former Rivers Angel star admitted that female teams do not generate money like their male colleagues, saying “when we get to that level” agitations for equal pay can take centre stage.
Oshoala added: “I’d rather say, give us a standard coach for the next five years; and let the salary be constant and let the game bonus for my teammates be constant.
“And let us play a lot of friendly games as much as we can. And when we get to that level, we start discussing the next stage. It is something that has to be with a plan.”
Also, she called for a rebranding of female football in the West African nation, adding that much has not been done to attract money into the game.
