Super Falcons player claims money stolen at hotel in Morocco

Super Falcons forward Esther Okoronkwo has accused hotel cleaners in Morocco of stealing cash from players' rooms. This happened while the team was preparing for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

Okoronkwo shared her claims in a series of Snapchat posts on Friday. She explained how they discovered the theft and how the hotel management reacted.

In her posts, Okoronkwo said the money disappeared when the players were out of their rooms and the cleaners came in to clean up.

The Nigerian team stayed at a hotel in Casablanca as they got ready for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. They were set to leave for Rabat, where their Group C matches will take place, on Friday.

“The cleaning people stole the money. So they waited while we weren’t in the room to clean and steal the money,” she wrote in one post.

She urged her teammates and followers to “write bad reviews” about the hotel.

Initially, Okoronkwo said $500 had been taken from her things. Later, she corrected herself. “Guys I did my calculations wrong; they actually stole 700, not 500 USD,” she explained, posting a photo of her teammates in the hotel.

She mentioned other squad members who also lost money. According to her, a teammate named Hali (Halimatu Ayinde) had $100 taken, another player Osi (Asisat Oshoala) also lost $100, and Joy (Joy Omewa) had £120 stolen.

She added that another teammate also lost some money, but did not specify the amount. They confronted the hotel staff about the missing cash but got no clear answers.

“We started talking to them, and they don’t have answers. They also started being disrespectful,” she wrote.

Okoronkwo said after she reported the issue, the front desk staff showed little concern. It seemed like they were not bothered by the report.

She ended her posts with a strong warning for future guests, saying her experience at the hotel was bad and accusing the staff of stealing from guests.

Deborah Abiodun and Gift Monday were also part of the Super Falcons' squad at their Marriott hotel camp in Casablanca as they prepared for the tournament. Head coach Justine Madugu has a full squad of 25 players as they get ready.

The defending champions, who have won the title ten times, began their title defence in Morocco with a chance to qualify for the World Cup. There is also a record prize of two million dollars at stake.

PUNCH could not reach the hotel or the Nigeria Football Federation for comments on the allegations by the time of this report.