How diaspora players elevate Super Falcons amid funding struggles

When Michelle Alozie first stepped onto the pitch in white and green in 2021, the dream just wasn’t about donning the Super Falcons’ jersey, but about representation.

Contents

Funding issues
Government and private funding factor

Being Nigerian, Alozie said, means everything to her and she wears her culture like a cloth.

Alozie, the US born right-back who balances football with her career as cancer research scientist, was part of the Nigerian women national team squad that won the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) and was awarded the national honour by Nigeria’s federal government.

The 28-year-old’s presence in the Super Falcons, playing at the backline and sliding into tackles is more than professionalism. It is a dream manifesting in representing the country she can always call her home.

“Growing up in the U.S., it wasn’t always easy to feel like I fully belonged. It took time to take pride in being different from the culture I was surrounded by. But the older I got, the more I realised my heritage was a gift,” she said.

A big part of this win, Alozie added, was about representation. “Being part of the first group of Nigerian players in the diaspora to be deeply involved in the national team, that’s an honour. That means something.”

Alozie is not alone. Ashleigh Plumptre, the England-born Al-Ittihad defender was part of the squad that won the Super Falcons its memorable 10th Women Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) trophy popularly known as “Mission X”.

Toni Payne, Ifeoma Onumonu, Jennifer Echegini, Yewande Balogun and Nicole Payne are part of the growing list of diaspora players in the Super Falcons changing the narrative and choosing to represent Nigeria at the highest level.

Many young talents in the diaspora sense that it is an opportunity to compete regularly at the major tournaments like WAFCON.

Multiple media reports show that at least eight members of the Super Falcons’ recent squad were born in or raised outside Nigeria.

But while the diaspora players’ inclusion in the squad has raised Nigeria’s tactical depth and global visibility, it also received speculation. In 2024, veteran midfielder Ngozi Okobi, one of the longest-serving Falcons, warned against a squad dominated by players without lived experience in Nigeria’s football system, cautioning that home-grown players risk being sidelined.

She expressed the belief that home-grown players need to be encouraged more by bringing them into the national team. She cited herself, Desire Oparanozie, Asisat Oshoala, Rasheedat Ajibade and Uchenna Kanu as products of the league.

“We have to go back to that period, it’s not just enough to invite players from abroad, we have to encourage those local league players,“ Okobi said.

Yusuf Mutiu, a sport analyst based in Kwara State lauded the inclusion of players in Nigeria’s women football from the Diaspora, saying it has significantly improved the level of competition and tactical intelligence of the sector.

He said players who are homegrown have leveraged on the enormous availability of information at the disposal of their mates who hail from Europe and the United States. While Mutiu believes the inclusion is needed, he also shared Okobi’s resolution that home-grown players should be encouraged.

“It’s obvious in the shape the various women football teams are taking and that has helped performances. On the other hand, the influx of players from the diaspora is making football authorities in Nigeria shifting focus from homegrown footballers and that is an albatross,” he said.

When asked about the influence of diaspora players in women’s football, Mutiu said it is in the information, exposure they have, and their technical understanding of the game. “And of course, football in Africa is moving at a fast pace and the knowledge of it is what will define the future of the industry in Nigeria. These have the potential to inspire young aspiring girls,” he said.

Mutiu said welfarism is one of the main challenges deterring Nigeria from retaining diaspora talents. “Players in the abroad are well taken care of, it’s not that the ones in Nigeria are ‘suffering’ but in a relative term, it’s quite better in the diaspora and it makes it very difficult for many to choose to ‘represent’ Nigeria when they have the opportunity to play for other countries in the West.

He further added that the unavailability of non sophisticated sporting facilities is also a major problem in retaining diaspora talents, “their exposure to sophisticated facilities abroad will make it difficult for them to settle for lesser quality in Nigeria,” he said.

Funding issues

Despite Nigeria’s women football team beaming with talents, it is marked by significant challenges, especially inadequate funding. Women teams across different sports struggle with inadequate financial backing, poor welfare packages, and substandard training facilities.

For instance, the Nigerian women’s football team, the Super Falcons, remains the most successful national team in Africa, yet they often have to fight for their bonuses and allowances.

Media reports show that Nigeria’s Super Falcons complained about unpaid bonuses and allowances before their final group game at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).

The funding issue is not isolated to football. Other women’s sports also face these issues. In 2024, Nigeria’s hammer thrower Sade Olatoye and her discus counterpart, Chioma Onyekwere said on News Central TV, that lack of funding cost Nigeria medals at the Olympic in Paris. She also revealed they funded themselves for the Paris 2024 Olympics games.

“Every year, me and my teammates, everything is out of pocket. We pay for our training, coaches, medical and even competitions,” she said.

Government and private funding factor

To curb this, Mutiu believes that support from government and private entities will lift a huge burden on the shoulders of footballers, allowing them to focus on personal and team development, especially for home-based footballers, who are struggling with several financial responsibilities.

Mutiu said there must be synergy among footballers, clubs, organisations and government in order to address funding issues and sustain the success and growth of women’s football in Nigeria.

“The authorities overseeing women football should approach corporate organis ations and well-to-do individuals across the nation. Investment should be focused on coaches development, upgrading of facilities and exposure of women footballers to information and tactics of the game. Women football in North America is undergoing this reformation and if Nigeria don’t upgrade, they might not catch up,” he said.

READ ALSO FROM SPORTING TRIBUNE