The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is gradually becoming a house of crisis and commotion following their inabilities to meet their financial obligations to the players of the national teams.
While the brouhaha generated by the non-payment of entitlements of players of the Super Falcons is yet to be settled, the football house may be in for a fresh crisis as the Flying Eagles team that qualified for the World Cup in Argentina have alleged that the NFF was yet to pay each player their promised $5000 should they book the mundial ticket in Egypt during the CAF U20 AFCON, a feat they eventually achieved.
Writing to seasoned Nigerian journalist, Osasu Obayiuwana, the report which the latter revealed on his tweeter handle on Thursday, the players regretted the inability of the NFF to pay them what is due to them.
In the report titled, ‘Plight of the Flying Eagles that achieved a quarterfinal finish in Argentina’, the players also explained how they were shortchanged in their camp allowances by the football house.
The complaint read: “In May 2022, the team won the WAFU U20 tournament and qualified for the AFCON U20 in Egypt during [the] @PinnickAmaju administration. The team was promised a qualification bonus but no specific amount was mentioned…
“To the AFCON U20 proper in Egypt – the NFF General Secretary sat with players and officials before the tournament and pledged $5,000 [to] each player if the team qualified for the U20 World Cup.
“Players and officials received six days training tour allowance in Morocco and 10 days in Egypt, despite spending 25 days in Egypt. The team finished third with [a] bronze medal and qualified for the World Cup. In Argentina, the team stayed for 31 days and reached the quarter finals but no match bonus paid and only 20 days camping allowance out of 31 days. 20 days camping allowance amounts to $2,000 that is $100 per day.
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“In Argentina, the players wanted to revolt for the non-payment of the World Cup qualification bonus and allowances but the NFF GS threatened to black list players who engage in such an act.
“At the moment, the NFF owes each Flying Eagles player $5,000 World Cup qualification bonus and 25 days camping allowance – 15 days in Egypt and 10 days in Argentina, as well as match bonuses, for three wins during the U20 World Cup.”
(Courtesy: Daily Independent)
