By Peter Omopo
Abuja, July 28, 2025
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has conferred the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) on Nigeria’s victorious Super Falcons and their technical crew following their triumphant outing at the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco.
At a grand reception held on Monday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the President also announced three-bedroom apartments for each member of the squad and technical crew at the Renewed Hope Estate in the Federal Capital Territory.
In addition, Tinubu approved a cash reward of the naira equivalent of $100,000 for each of the 24 players, and $50,000 for each member of the 11-man technical team.
“I hereby confer on the players and the 11-man technical team the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger,” the President said. “Additionally, I have directed the allocation of three-bedroom apartments in the Renewed Hope Housing Scheme and a cash award of the naira equivalent of $100,000 for each player, and $50,000 for the coaches.”
Also present at the ceremony, Governor Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State, who chairs the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), announced a separate donation of ₦10 million to each player on behalf of the 36 state governors.
Earlier in the day, the President and First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu received the Falcons at the Presidential Villa following their dramatic 3–2 comeback victory over hosts Morocco in Saturday’s final match in Rabat. The win earned Nigeria its 12th WAFCON title, further cementing the country’s dominance in African women’s football.
The team, led by captain and tournament MVP Rasheedat Ajibade, arrived at Aso Rock shortly before 4:36 p.m. and were received by the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.
During the event, Tinubu also shared a light-hearted moment, revealing he refrained from watching the final match live to avoid triggering his blood pressure.
“I didn’t want to watch the match initially because I didn’t want high blood pressure,” he said. “My wife was in the kitchen and ran out to tell me, ‘We have won!’”
President Tinubu had also commended the team in a post-match video call on Saturday, hailing their resilience and comeback spirit after overturning a 2–0 halftime deficit to win the game.
With this latest victory, the Super Falcons have now secured four WAFCON titles in the last decade — 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2024 — reaffirming their status as Africa’s most successful women’s football team.
