The Super Falcons of Nigeria are on the cusp of history.
The Nigeria senior women's team is the most successful national team in the country and is close to equaling their best performance at the World Cup.
The team reached the quarter-finals of the 1999 World Cup in the USA. They are close to a repeat performance, but the Lionesses of England stand in their way.
England, the current European champions are in an imperial form having won all their games at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
While the focus has been on the English ladies, the Super Falcons have a different meal on their plates. They stand to make a mouthwatering $90,000 each if they can fly over the Lionesses.
Why NFF cannot tamper with the Super Falcons' allowance
It has been a running battle between the Super Falcons and the football administrative body in Nigeria – the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
There have been talks of monies owed to the girls for a long while, which forced FIFA to moot the idea of paying the players their emoluments from this World Cup directly.
FIFA has cleared the air over payment modalities, but the Nigerian ladies stand to earn a whopping $90,000 if they make it to the quarter-finals.
How Super Falcons can afford 10 Mercedes Benz each
Is it safe to say the Super Falcons are rich? By Nigerian standards, they are. As the old-fashioned slang goes, they are in the dough.
With $90,000 coming to around N7,000,000, there are many things this kind of money could buy.
For instance, the street value of a Mercedes-Benz M-Class ranges from ₦7,000,000 – ₦11,000,000, while the Mercedes-Benz E350 is between ₦2,900,000 – ₦6,900,000. At these values, it is easy to say that every member of the Super Falcons can buy 10 of these if they decide to splurge.
However, if they decide to go for the real thing and get on the dance floor where the big guns play, then there are a few toys their money can get them.
They could go for the 2023 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class – $76,500, 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQB – $52,750 – 60,550, 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class – $37,500 – 56,650, 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class – $39,800 – 51,500 and the 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class – $47,100 – 68,200.
If luxury cars are all that catch their fancy, there are other cars they can afford.
They include the 2024 BMW M4 – $80,420, the 2023 Genesis Electrified G80 – $81,078 or the 2023 BMW M3 – $76,911.
Other things the Super Falcons can splurge on
Real Estate
Real Estate has held immense value and attraction for people over the years. $90,000 is a tidy sum, and the Super Falcons could find a wide range of places across the globe to invest their windfall from the World Cup. They can also buy choice properties in Lagos and Abuja.
FIFA undermines NFF
Before the World Cup, there were upheavals in the team over unpaid allowances that date back almost two years. With the players unable to speak about it, the coach Randy Waldrum accused the NFF of reneging on its responsibilities. The accusations and counter-accusations reached FIFA ears, who decided to pay the players directly.
The NFF did not appreciate the move by FIFA and has grumbled about it, forcing FIFA to backtrack into a supervisory role in ensuring the monies gets to the players. It is good news for the players who have laboured for it and deserve everything they get.
Back to business
While the Super Falcons can dream about all the luxury the money they win can buy, they still have the arduous task of beating the European champions, England, to pocket $90,000. They may sound as confident as they want to boost their morale, but it will not be an easy fight.
If they can soar over the Lionesses, they can begin to dream of going all the way to win the tournament, which guarantees them a $270,000 windfall.
This article was most recently revised and updated 1 year ago
