The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, on Friday expressed heartfelt appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari for directing that players and officials of African champions, Super Falcons be paid within days.

Ceoafrica gathered that the payment was directed after the team’s protest at the National Assembly on Wednesday.

The NFF said “we are grateful to the Presidency for the prompt action, and we believe this will put the minds of the players at rest as it has been a very difficult time for the NFF due to the fact that players and officials weren’t paid immediately after the tournament.

NFF added that “It is not as if the Federation did not plan to pay the players and officials their entitlements, NFF expected some money whose expectation proved futile.

“They are champions and deserve to be treated as such; there are no doubts about that,” Ademola Olajire, NFF’s Director of Media and Communications, said in the statement.

Olajire also stated that there was no time the NFF directed that the players should be ejected from their Agura Hotel, and decried claims that no official went to see the players at the hotel.

“The NFF is at the receiving end of all these, but at the end of the day, fair is fair.

“Also, despite the difficulties, the Federation was able to make the sum of $5,000 available to the Team Administrator for logistics.

The NFF President personally visited the team and prayed with them,” Olajire said in the statement.

Olajire added that “before the team played South Africa in the semifinals, the NFF reached out to some sources and raised money to pay each player the sum of N500,000.

“The NFF President was on the tarmac of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos to receive the team and celebrated with them on arrival.

“He also impressed it on NFF partner, Emzor to host the ladies to lunch and the company gave the team the sum of N1.6million.

“On arrival in Abuja, the team was received by the NFF General Secretary, Head of Protocol, Head of Women’s Football and the CEO of Jedo (a private organization), Dr Aliyu Oroje Wammako.

The statement added that Minster of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung visited the team in company of the NFF General Secretary, Mohammed Sanusi in their hotel.

“Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung who personally visited the team at their hotel, NFF General Secretary, Mohammed Sanusi was at the hotel on two occasions alongside the Head of Women’s Football, Ruth David.