Super Falcons forward Esther Okoronkwo has become a target of racist abuse online after she accused staff at the Marriott Hotel in Casablanca of stealing cash from players’ rooms ahead of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. Okoronkwo made the allegations in a series of Snapchat posts over the weekend, claiming that cleaning staff entered the rooms while the team trained and took money from several players’ wallets. She initially put her own loss at $500 before correcting the figure to $700 after recalculating.
The 29-year-old, who plays for AFC Toronto in Canada’s Northern Super League, named other affected teammates, including captain Rasheedat Ajibade ($200), Joy Omewa ($120), Osinachi Ohale ($100), and Halimatu Ayinde ($100), with the total loss estimated at around $1,000. Okoronkwo said the players confronted hotel staff after discovering the missing cash but received no satisfactory explanation, adding that the response grew disrespectful when they pressed the matter further.
The claims triggered a wave of racist attacks against Okoronkwo, mainly from accounts believed to be Moroccan. Multiple users flooded her Instagram page with abusive comments, comparing her and other Black players to monkeys and gorillas in posts widely condemned as racially charged. One user, identified as @mmeedd23, criticised Okoronkwo for going public with the allegations while defending the hotel in remarks seen as racially insensitive.
Nigerian football fans and commentators have pushed back strongly, insisting that a dispute over an alleged theft cannot justify racial abuse directed at any player. Neither the Nigeria Football Federation nor the Confederation of African Football has issued a statement addressing the theft claims or the abuse that followed. The Marriott Hotel in Casablanca has also stayed silent on the allegations.
The controversy lands just days before the Super Falcons open their WAFCON title defence against Malawi on Tuesday at the Al Madina Stadium in Rabat. Nigeria, the record 10-time champions, are chasing an unprecedented 11th continental crown as they bid to overcome the distraction and refocus on the pitch.
