Former Nigeria international goalkeeper and current Super Falcons Assistant Coach, Ann Chiejine, has debunked insinuations that the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, screened players who went to Aso Rock to honour the invitation of First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, thereby limiting the number of players that attended to only three, reports Completesports.com, exclusively.

Only four officials and three Super Falcons players showed up at the Aso Rock Villa with some top NFF chieftains, and news was all over the media that Nigeria's football ruling body's General Secretary Dr Sanusi Mohammed Screened the invite and took only players who are on the good books of NFF.

Chiejine who assisted Randy Waldrum at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia/New Zealand, said that all the players were told about the First Lady's planned reception for the team when they were still in Australia but most of the players, for various reasons, declined to come and left for their respective clubs in Europe and USA.

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"The NFF actually told us that Nigeria's First Lady will host us for the good performance of the Super Falcons, but the USA-based players including coach Waldrum had on the eve of our game with England confirmed their tickets back to America. They left that night after our shootout loss. Some others went back to Europe for pre-season with their clubs," Chiejine told Completesports.com.

"The rest of the players and officials were routed to Lagos and Abuja. Those of us who landed in Abuja and Lagos were reminded of the reception. Only goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie excused herself to attend a burial of her relation in the village. Team captain, Onome Ebi, flew in from Lagos and we expected others to join but to no avail.

"I don't know where the reports in the media that Dr. Sanusi Mohammed screened the invite came from. I was at the Villa with some other officials and the First Lady specifically asked of Chiamaka and her absence was duly explained to her. It is not as if the wife of President Tinubu would limit the largesse to only those who attended the reception. So I don't know where the reports came from," Chiejine who was in goal when Nigeria reached the quarter-finals of the Women's World Cup in 1999 stated.

The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, hosted the Super Falcons on Monday at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja where she announced a cash donation of 10.000 US dollars to each of the players and 2,500 dollars to each of the team officials.

By Richard Jideaka, Abuja

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