Report: Nigeria Stages Sit-In at Women's World Cup Over Alleged Unpaid Bonuses
Players from the Nigerian women's team are staging a sit-in protest at their hotel in France following their elimination from the Women's World Cup on Saturday until all of their outstanding bonuses are paid, ESPN's Colin Udoh reports.
After their 3–0 loss to Germany in the Round of 16, the players told ESPN that they are refusing to leave until they are paid the bonuses they are owed from two games, against Gambia and Senegal, from two and three years ago. The bonuses amount to about $5,600 U.S. but the players allege that they have only been paid half of that. Nigeria Football Federation president Amaju Pinnick told ESPN that all the remaining allowances have been paid.
Per ESPN, the players are also owed five days of daily allowance while at the World Cup. The players are also demanding their share of the World Cup participation fee from FIFA, which is not scheduled to be paid out until September.
Nigeria's women's team also staged a protest over bonuses after winning the 2016 African title in Cameroon. The team also sat in at a South African hotel for three days in 2004 after winning the African title until outstanding allowances were paid.
