Bay FC of America attacker, Asisat Lamina Oshoala has waded into the issue of wage disparity between Nigeria’s male and female players, with a view that the Super Falcons would bring as much profit as the Super Eagles if they are given the same marketing drive, Sports247 reports.
Speaking against the backdrop of a recent achievement of equal pay for male and female national team players by the USA’s squad, ‘Super Dee’ reckoned that the same could happen in Nigeria if the nation’s football administrators give ladies from their country more respect in the round leather game.
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The 30-year-old widely travelled product of Lagos-based FC Robo Queens, who played for Barcelona of Spain before moving to Bay FC last year, stressed that it is high time the issue of gender equality is faced squarely in Nigeria, considering that both male and female players kick the same footballs.
Oshola declared: “When it comes to investing, people think the men deserve more money than the women, though they are doing the same job and doing the same training. They also entertain equally.
“So, I see no reason why anyone should think a man deserves to be paid much more than a woman.”
The record six-time African Women Footballer of The Year, who previously played for Liverpool Ladies and Arsenal Women of England, as well as with Dalian Quanjian of China, further pointed out that even officials of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) always raise arguments to support gender pay dichotomy, which the fleet-footed attacker fondly called ‘Agba Baller’ also faulted.
Oshoala continued: “The argument from the federation is always that, ‘When the men go to the World Cup, they bring in more money.’ So, automatically, they think you don’t deserve to be paid equally because they make more money off the male team than they do from the women’s side.”
She concluded by suggesting that better marketing initiatives should be introduced into Nigeria’s women’s football sector and the female national in order to gain more dividends from the ladies.
“I’m not arguing issues with them, I’m just saying there’s a way in which you project your team that you can make more money with them.
“But for now, when Super Eagles have a game, it’s all over the social media. It’s everywhere, with banners also everywhere. But, when Super Falcons have a game, you barely see one post on social media. It’s not supposed to be like that,” Oshoala lamented.
