Courtney Ozioma Dike made headlines in 2014 when she rejected a $7,000 bonus after representing Nigeria at the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
The Oklahoma-born forward, who played college soccer at Oklahoma State University, cited NCAA regulations as the reason behind her decision, stating that accepting prize money would violate the rules governing collegiate athletes in the U.S. In a letter to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Courtney expressed her commitment to playing for Nigeria, regardless of financial incentives. “I am delighted to play for Nigeria whenever called upon.
I knew before leaving for the U-20 World Cup that I would not accept any bonuses,” Dike wrote. She further explained that “knowing this beforehand, I still chose to represent the country because I believed the experience would be more valuable than the money, and I was right.” Courtney’s performance on the pitch was as remarkable during the tournament.