Why I Promised Cash Reward To Flamingos – Gusau

By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde

As Nigeria’s U-17 women’s team, the Flamingos, prepares for their second-leg match against Algeria in the final stage of the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Ibrahim Gusau shared the reason behind the cash reward he offered the team.

Gusau explained he promised the players N500,000 for every goal scored in the first game against Algeria.

His goal was to motivate the girls to perform strongly and boost their confidence. He believed this incentive would make the second leg in Algeria less intimidating.

“The girls performed very well. They have been consistent through the qualifiers,” Gusau told Exclusivenews.com.ng.

“I wanted them to score more goals to reduce the pressure for the second leg. They played with energy and scored excellent goals. The motivation clearly worked well.”

The Flamingos started strongly, winning the first game 4-0 at home. Queen Joseph scored twice, while Zainab Raji and Aishat Animashaun each scored once, giving Nigeria a big lead before the next match in Bilda.

In addition to the NFF’s N2 million reward, billionaire businessman Kunle Soname, who owns Remo Stars FC, also added N4 million to encourage the team.

Coach Bankole Olowookere’s team is now focused on securing their spot at the World Cup in Morocco later this year.

They are already in a strong position, and Gusau believes they can do even better than before on the international stage.

The team that wins both matches will earn a spot at the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.