Maureen Madu, a five-time winner of the Women’s African Cup of Nations, has called on President Bola Tinubu to extend his kind gestures to veteran Falcons.

Ms Madu, who made the call during an interview in Awka on Sunday, said the gesture would set Mr Tinubu apart as a supporter of women in sports and female footballers.

Ms. Madu, who played over 100 games for the Super Falcons, told journalists that without her team, which laid the foundation, Nigeria would not have been the 10th-time winners of the coveted cup.

The president hosted the 2025 WAFCON team in Abuja, where he announced a reward of a three-bedroom flat and a cash reward of 100,000 dollars to each of the players.

The Falcon, who won the title for the sixth time as a coach, said they were not as fortunate, even though they had spent their youthful lives as trailblazers of female football and had won laurels for Nigeria from the first to the ninth time.

Madu, who operates the Maureen Madu Kiddies Football Academy for girls in Anambra, commended the president for the generous reward to the 2025 Super Falcons. She recalled that some members of the Super Falcons were sacked by their clubs after representing Nigeria.

“I want to plead like some of my teammates have done, that the president should please extend the hand of appreciation to all the players who participated from the onset of the WAFCON.

“I am not saying they should give us exactly the amount they gave to our younger sisters, but at least a token of appreciation will go a long way to show that our labour was not in vain.

“Like my teammates have said, we have been neglected for a long time. This 10th cup did not just come up in the last competition. We are the pioneers of this great achievement,” she said.

(NAN)