By Harry Awurumibe, Editor-in-Chief Abuja

Eyes On The Ball…Dare-devil attacker Patience Avre-Odeli on way to scoring a goal in Nigeria’s colours in the FIFA World Cup final. Now retired but calling national recognition.
The umbrella body of the retired players of Nigeria’s senior women’s football team called United Ex-Super Falcons has applauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for once again splashing a mouthwatering sum of dollars, flats and national honours on 2025 AfroBasket champions, D’Tigress of Nigeria, Prompt News reports.
They have also congratulated the players and technical crew of Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team D’Tigress for winning the prestigious AfroBasket championship for the fifth time in a row, describing them as true champions who deserve to be appreciated by a grateful country.
Spokesperson of the group and Ex-Super Falcons forward, Patience Avre-Odeli in a chat from her base in Chicago, United States of America (USA) said they commend President Tinubu for recognising the great honours the D’Tigress just like the Super Falcons who won the 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) have brought to Nigeria and he has rewarded the women’s teams accordingly.
Avre-Odeli, who represented Nigeria in three FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in Sweden 1995, USA 1999, and 2003, as well as Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and won four WAFCON titles for the nation insists that United Ex-Super Falcons are happy with Tinubu for adequately compensating Nigeria’s sportsmen and women who excel in international competitions since coming to power.
According to her: “We, the retired Super Falcons players, are happy that President Bola Tinubu has again rewarded D’Tigress with $1000, 000 each, blocks of flats and national honours for winning the 2025 Women’s AfroBasket title, the same way he did for the Super Falcons last week.
“In fact, these gestures are unprecedented in the history of women’s sports in Nigeria because no Nigerian leader has done what President Tinubu has done. In our time, we only got a presidential handshake. We were promised land in Abuja but never got the allocation.”
However, Avre-Odeli said United Ex-Super Falcons are pleading with the Nigerian president to extend the largesse to ex-internationals, some of whom she said served Nigeria very well but now struggling with life.
” We call on President Tinubu to correct the misdeeds of the past governments because most of our former teammates are really suffering both in Nigeria and abroad after using their youthful years to play and win many trophies for Nigeria. Our generation won nine WAFCON before this 10th title, so Mr. President should consider us too.”, United Ex-Super Falcons spokesperson stated.
She said that they are looking forward to getting a favourable response from Tinubu, who she said is a listening president while calling on the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Senator Oluremi Tinubu to also plead to Mr. President on behalf of United Ex-Super Falcons to consider their appeal.