Super Falcons forward Esther Okoronkwo has accused staff at the Marriott Hotel in Casablanca, Morocco, of stealing money from Nigerian players’ rooms ahead of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
Quick facts
- Esther Okoronkwo says Marriott Hotel staff in Casablanca took cash from players’ rooms.
- The allegation was made through a series of Snapchat posts on Saturday.
- Okoronkwo claims she lost $700, with an estimated total of around $1,000 taken from affected players.
- She named defender Osinachi Ohale ($100), midfielder Joy Omewa ($120), captain Rasheedat Ajibade ($200), and midfielder Halimatu Ayinde ($100).
- Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Marriott Hotel Casablanca had not issued statements at the time of reporting.
- Nigeria’s Super Falcons begin their WAFCON title defence against Malawi on July 28 at Al Madina Stadium in Rabat.
Okoronkwo, who plays club football for AFC Toronto in the Canadian Northern Super League, said cleaning staff entered the rooms while the players were out and removed cash from wallets left in the accommodation.
The 29-year-old claimed the incident affected multiple teammates. She said her own loss was $700, while the overall amount allegedly taken from players was roughly $1,000.
Alongside her own claim, Okoronkwo said defender Osinachi Ohale was robbed of $100. She added that midfielder Joy Omewa lost $120, captain Rasheedat Ajibade had $200 taken, and midfielder Halimatu Ayinde was allegedly short by $100.
In her posts, Okoronkwo wrote: “This hotel Marriot in Casablanca just stole about a lot of peoples’ money from their wallet!” She also said: “They stole a couple of dollars from my teammate. The cleaning people stole the money. So they waited while we weren’t in the room to clean and steal the money.”
She further alleged that players were unhappy with how management responded after the matter was reported. Okoronkwo said: “We started talking to them and they don’t have answers. They also started being disrespectful.”
At the time of publication, neither the Nigeria Football Federation nor the Marriott Hotel Casablanca had released an official statement addressing the accusations.
Meanwhile, the Super Falcons—Africa’s most decorated women’s national team with a record 10 WAFCON titles—are set to kick off their title defence against Malawi on July 28. The match will be played at Al Madina Stadium in Rabat.
