Michelle Alozie has added her voice to growing calls for gender equality in Nigerian football, spotlighting the glaring disparity in treatment between the Super Falcons and the Super Eagles.
The defender, who featured at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, revealed the unprofessional conditions during her first camp with the Super Falcons—specifically being asked to hand wash her own training clothes.
“I remember my first camp in Nigeria,” she recalled. “I asked them, ‘Training’s done, I have all these dirty clothes—where’s the laundry?”
“And they said, ‘Oh, do you need soap?’ I was like, what do you mean I have to hand wash?”
Alozie expressed frustration over the fact that male players with the Super Eagles are not subjected to such conditions.
She questioned why the women’s national team, which also competes for World Cup and Olympic qualification, is treated differently.
“We’re all professional athletes. The Super Eagles are not doing handwashing, so why should we?”
“ I 100% expect equality when it comes to something like the national team. We’re all fighting for the same goals.”
These are longstanding issues raised by Super Falcons players about inadequate support, ranging from poor logistics to unpaid bonuses.
The NFF has been frequently criticized for neglecting the women’s team, despite their sustained success on the African continent.
Alozie said the experience has deepened her commitment to advocating for improved conditions for future generations, particularly the Falconets—the national U-20 women’s team.
“Being inside of it and seeing everything that everyone has to deal with—and then still being expected to perform at their best—is frustrating, but it really makes me want to fight for the Falconets that come up,” she concluded.
Despite their struggles off the pitch, the Super Falcons continue to deliver strong performances, recently securing qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics—their first appearance since 2008.
However, players insist that success on the field must be matched by respect and proper investment off it.
The NFF has yet to issue an official response to Alozie’s comments.
