Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Super Falcons forward Esther Okoronkwo has raised a significant alarm over what she describes as a coordinated theft at the team's hotel in Casablanca, Morocco, just days before Nigeria begins its title defence at the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations. The 29-year-old AFC Toronto striker took to Snapchat on Saturday, July 25, 2026, to accuse staff at the Marriott Hotel of stealing money from her wallet and those of several teammates while they were away from their rooms. Okoronkwo initially claimed that $500 had been stolen from her belongings before later correcting the figure after recounting her money. "Guys, I did my calculations wrong. They actually stole 700, not 500 USD," she wrote.
The total amount allegedly taken from the affected players is estimated at $1,220 (approximately N1.7 million). Okoronkwo named several of her teammates who were also affected: Rasheedat Ajibade reportedly lost $200, Joy Omewa lost $120, Osinachi Ohale lost $100, and Halimatu Ayinde lost $100. In her posts, the Super Falcons forward squarely blamed the hotel's housekeeping personnel. "The cleaning people stole the money. So they waited while we weren't in the room to clean and steal the money," she wrote. She further revealed that when the players raised the issue with hotel management, they received no satisfactory explanation and were met with what she described as disrespectful responses. "We started talking to them, and they don't have answers. They also started being disrespectful," she added.
The Super Falcons are staying at the Marriott Hotel in Casablanca as part of their final preparations for the 2026 WAFCON. Despite the off-field distraction, the defending champions have continued their build-up to the tournament, which officially kicked off on July 26. The team rounded off their preparations in Casablanca with a 2-1 victory over Tanzania in a friendly on Thursday, with Okoronkwo scoring the winning goal. The squad has since left Casablanca for Rabat, where they will begin their Group C campaign against tournament debutants Malawi on Tuesday at the Al Madina Stadium, before facing Zambia and Egypt.
Neither the Nigeria Football Federation nor the Marriott Hotel Casablanca had issued an official statement on the incident at the time of filing this report. As Nigeria chases a record-extending 11th Women's Africa Cup of Nations title, the theft allegations have cast a shadow over the team's preparations, with Okoronkwo's claims highlighting the security concerns facing the reigning African champions on the eve of a major tournament.
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