President Bola Tinubu has praised the Super Falcons for their victory at the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), rewarding each player with $100,000 and a three-bedroom apartment.
National Honour and Warm Reception
At a celebratory reception on Monday at Aso Rock, Tinubu welcomed the 24-woman squad and conferred the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) honour on all players and staff. The team had earlier arrived at Abuja’s airport to a warm reception with drummers, dancers, and government officials.
“You have returned as champions of Africa,” Tinubu said. “We could not be prouder.”
He called the team’s victory a “triumph of courage, determination, and consistency,” adding that he almost stopped watching the match due to tension.
Team captain Rasheedat Ajibade dedicated the win to “every young girl in our villages, towns, and cities who dares to dream.”
She shared her vision for the Super Falcons to become the best team in the world. However, she emphasized that this would only be possible with consistent support from the football federation and government.
The Super Falcons came from behind to beat Morocco 3–2 in the final, securing their 10th WAFCON title since the tournament began in 1998.
Despite the celebrations, past issues remain. Both the men’s and women’s teams have faced repeated delays in bonus and salary payments. The Super Falcons have also staged sit-ins at major tournaments over unpaid entitlements.
Tinubu recently fulfilled a 30-year-old promise by awarding new homes to the 1994 AFCON-winning Super Eagles. He also approved match allowances and backdated bonuses for the Super Falcons ahead of Saturday’s final, promising that timely payments would now become the norm.
