Controversies and confusion are rocking the Nigeria Women Football League Premiership side, Edo Queens as the club has openly debunked rumours of players leaving the team over unpaid bonuses from the 2023 Betsy Obaseki Women Football Tournament, platinumnewsng.com is reporting.
While fans were still trying to process the information of a player going absent without leave, AWOL, a news story by Popular News on Wednesday, February 7, 2024, reported that a source within the club revealed that some players have departed the team over unpaid bonuses by the Edo State Sports Commission.
According to the Popular News report, “The hardworking girls and their handlers should by now be swimming in megabucks as they emerged winners of the annual Betsy Obaseki Women Football Tournament in 2023 which they were entitled to the N7million prize money that the winners were promised only for the evil officials of the Edo State Sports Commission to deny the girls the money after it had been approved for payment by the state government.
“The girls as we speak now have decided to cast their lots with neighbouring football clubs in the light of this unbecoming action of the state sports commission officials.” the report said.
In a WhatsApp reaction by the Edo Queens FC media officer, Ogieva Ehiosun on the foremost women’s football WhatsApp group (Soccer Queens) at 4:22 pm Wednesday, the news was described as “nothing but a lie from the pit of hell”.
The media officer equivocally debunked the story stating that the players during the tournament, were lodged in one of the best hotels in Edo State.
“Yes, the players participated in the 3rd edition of Betsy Obaseki Women Football Tournament BOWFT and won the prestigious trophy. The players during the competition were lodged in one of the best hotels Prestige Hotel to be precise in Edo State with everything they needed to excel in the competition.”
The media officer went on to state that the two players from the West (unnamed) must have spoken to journalists, misinforming them about the situation at the club.
“The four players (unnamed) that left Edo Queens have their reasons for leaving, and two are from the West, and they must have told lies to the reporter just to gain sympathy from the public and justify their act,” he said.
However, it is worth noting that the club’s media officer failed to debunk the actual claim by Popular News that the players are being owed N7 million from the Betsy Obaseki Women’s Football Tournament.