Asisat Oshoala Welcomes Financial Boost for Women's World Cup 2023

Asisat Oshoala, a striker for Barcelona and Nigeria, expresses her enthusiasm for the increased financial rewards introduced by FIFA for the upcoming Women’s World Cup. Each player participating in the tournament will receive a minimum of $30,000, while the entire winning team of 23 players is guaranteed $270,000 as part of a total prize pool of $110 million.

Oshoala, a five-time African player of the year, considers this change significant as the funds will be directly given to the players rather than through their federations. In an interview with Sport News Center Africa, she states, “I’m pleased to see these developments, as players will no longer have to rely solely on their federations for income from World Cup appearances. It’s truly motivating for us.”

This year’s tournament, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, features South Africa, Nigeria, Morocco, and Zambia, alongside other teams. The minimum prize money of $30,000 surpasses the average salary of $14,000 for paid players according to FIFA’s 2022 benchmarking report. Due to a lack of sponsorship and investment, many African footballers often depend on earnings from national teams, making this financial boost crucial.

Nigeria’s women’s team, the Super Falcons, has faced public scrutiny in the past due to protests by players regarding unpaid bonuses and allowances during continental and global tournaments. Oshoala, who has participated in the 2015 and 2019 World Cup tournaments, believes that the new distribution model endorsed by the global players union, FIFPRO, can help prevent such issues. She emphasizes, “Protests don’t always present a good image because all players want to focus on is the football.”

Additionally, African federations will receive increased funding based on their performance in the Women’s World Cup. The winners will receive $4.29 million, while delegations participating in the group stage will earn $1.56 million. As the African teams progress beyond the group stages, the federations stand to gain $1.87 million in the last 16 and $2.18 million in the quarter-finals. FIFA expects that member associations will reinvest the retained amount in footballing activities, including coaching staff, grassroots projects, youth national teams, and women’s football capacity-building programs.

Oshoala believes that this initiative will contribute to the development of the game on the African continent. As a two-time European Women’s Champions League winner with Barcelona, she states, “FIFA’s monitoring of these funds ensures they are directed to the right places, benefiting both the players and the sport overall.”

The Women’s World Cup 2023 will commence on July 20, with Nigeria’s first match against Canada in Melbourne on the following day. Nigeria has participated in all eight Women’s World Cups since 1991, maintaining a consistent presence, but has yet to achieve success on the world stage. Their best performance came in 1999 when they reached the quarter-finals, and they also made it to the knockout stages in 2019, losing to Germany.

South Africa, making their second appearance in the World Cup, faces a challenging Group G against Sweden, Italy, and Argentina. Zambia, a debutant, will compete against 2011 world champions Japan, Spain, and Costa Rica in Group C. Morocco, another African representative, will battle against two-time World Cup winners Germany, Colombia, and South Korea in Group H.

Players from teams reaching the last 16 will receive $60,000 each, while those making it to the quarter-finals will receive $90,000.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Women’s World Cup 2023

Q: What is the Women’s World Cup 2023?

A: The Women’s World Cup 2023 is an international football tournament for women’s national teams, featuring teams from around the world competing for the championship title.

Q: Who is Asisat Oshoala?

A: Asisat Oshoala is a professional football player from Nigeria who currently plays as a striker for both Barcelona and the Nigerian national team. She is a five-time winner of the African Footballer of the Year award.

Q: What financial rewards are being introduced for the Women’s World Cup?

A: FIFA has implemented a new financial structure for the Women’s World Cup 2023, with each player set to receive a minimum of $30,000 from the tournament. The winning team, consisting of 23 members, is guaranteed $270,000 as part of a $110 million total prize pool.

Q: How will the funds be distributed to the players?

A: Unlike in the past, the funds will now go directly to the players participating in the Women’s World Cup, rather than being routed through their respective federations. This change aims to provide players with a more direct and independent income source from their World Cup appearances.

Q: Why is this financial boost significant?

A: The increased financial rewards for the players are considered significant because they help address issues of financial dependency on federations and provide a motivational incentive for players participating in the tournament.

Q: How will the African federations benefit from the Women’s World Cup funding?

A: African federations will also receive increased funding based on their performance in the Women’s World Cup. The funds retained by the federations are expected to be reinvested in various footballing activities such as coaching staff, grassroots projects, youth national teams, and women’s football capacity-building programs.

Q: How will the funds be monitored and allocated appropriately?

A: FIFA has stated that they will monitor the distribution of funds to ensure they are channeled to the intended areas. This will help ensure that the funds reach the right places and benefit both the players and the development of women’s football.

Q: What impact does this financial boost have on African teams and players?

A: The financial boost is particularly significant for African teams and players, who often face challenges with limited sponsorship, investment, and struggling clubs on the continent. The increased prize money and funding can contribute to the development of the game and provide greater opportunities for African women footballers.

Q: When does the Women’s World Cup 2023 take place?

A: The Women’s World Cup 2023 is scheduled to start on July 20. Nigeria, as one of the participating teams, will play their first match against Canada in Melbourne on the following day, followed by matches against Australia and the Republic of Ireland in Brisbane.

Q: How have Nigerian teams performed in previous Women’s World Cup tournaments?

A: Nigeria’s women’s team, known as the Super Falcons, has participated in all eight Women’s World Cups since 1991. While they have been successful on the continental level, their best performance in the World Cup was reaching the quarter-finals in 1999. They also reached the knockout stages in 2019 but were eliminated by Germany.

Q: Which other African teams are participating in the Women’s World Cup 2023?

A: In addition to Nigeria, South Africa, Morocco, and Zambia will also be representing Africa in the Women’s World Cup 2023. It is an opportunity for these teams to showcase their talent and compete against strong opponents from around the world.

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Asisat Oshoala Welcomes Financial Boost for Women’s World Cup 2023