Even
though it has been raining cash for the Super Eagles since they
returned from South Africa on Tuesday, The PUNCH has learnt on authority
that the players are yet to be paid their final match bonus as promised
them by the Nigeria Football Federation.
Nigeria defeated Burkina Faso 1-0 last
Sunday in Johannesburg to win the African Nations Cup and the Eagles had
been promised $30,000 each if they win the cup. Similar promises were
made at different stages of the 19th African Nations Cup with the
players getting $20,000 each for their 4-1 semi-final win over Mali. But
while the other pledges were redeemed by the NFF in South Africa the
players are yet to get the cash for the final game four days after they
returned to Nigeria.
Nigeria got the sum of $1.5m for winning the African cup from the Confederation of African Football.
The NFF President Alhaji Aminu Maigari
could not be reached as we learnt that he was on his way out Abuja. We
were able to speak with the NFF General Secretary Mr. Musa Amadu on the
matter Thursday night but he only offered very terse answer to our
enquiry.
He said, “I cannot confirm or deny it. That’s the much I can say about it.”
By Thursday many of the players had
returned to their bases outside Nigeria without the money. The duo of
Victor Moses and Efe Ambrose, for instance, did not return to the
country with the team as they joined their clubs in London and Glasgow
respectively straight from South Africa. Mikel Obi returned to Chelsea
soon after President Goodluck Jonathan hosted them at the Presidential
Villa in Abuja.
Incidentally Globacom Chairman Dr. Mike
Adenuga made the $1m pledge on Monday in South Africa and redeemed it on
Wednesday in Abuja.
We could not ascertain the reason for
the delay in payment. But apart from the claim of interference from the
FA in his handling of the team, Eagles coach Stephen Keshi also cited
huge amount owed him by the football administrators.
In the past the fight over match bonuses
had always been regular with the national teams but that appeared to
have stopped in the last three years until now. It appears that the
several donations made to the players by private individuals and various
state governors have helped to dampen agitation for the final bonus.
No comments:
Post a Comment