This is one story the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) will hate to come out – Super Falcons goalkeeper Alaba Jonathan is now seeking asylum in France after she defected in Europe.
SCORENigeria learnt that the Bayelsa Queens star made the final squad to this year’s World Cup in France, but did not return with the rest of the squad to Nigeria after the country exited the tournament in the Round of 16.
We further gathered that she was later apprehended by the police in Belgium who then handed her back to France, where her visa originated from.
Jonathan has since said she is seeking asylum after she was harassed and threatened by top NFF officials in France at the heat of the pay strike the African champions embarked on.
The NFF are also in hot water with the French embassy after they failed to produce the goalkeeper on the team’s return to Nigeria.
Several officials contacted on this refused to comment.
At France 2019, Jonathan, 27, was third-choice goalkeeper behind Chiamaka Nnadozie, who took over as No 1 in France, and Tochukwu Oluehi, who was the star at last year’s AWCON in Ghana.
She was also on the squad to the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup and also represented Nigeria at the U20 World Cup.
