The Super Eagles on Tuesday suspended a training strike over unpaid bonuses at the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt following last-minute pleas by the country’s football officials.
The team finally agreed to train in Alexandria, 30 minutes after schedule, after the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) promised to pay a win bonus from their 1-0 victory over Burundi on Saturday, by the end of the week.
NFF spokesman Ademola Olajire told AFP “the matter has been resolved”, conceding that funds for the tournament had arrived late.
“The NFF received part of the money meant for the tournament today and is in the process of converting it to dollars to pay the players and officials”, he said.
“The only money they’re owed is the win-bonus for the Burundi match”, he added.
The bonuses were expected to be paid by the NFF after Saturday’s game ended.
Officials close to the team, who spoke under anonymity, told AFP that following reassurances from the NFF “the team captain spoke to the players, asking them to show some understanding after which the team agreed to train”.
The players had earlier boycotted the official pre-match conference.
Other NFF officials disclosed that the players have been paid a daily training allowance of $200-a-player from June 2 to June 30.
Nigeria’s top football body — cash strapped and besieged by corruption trials against its top officials — have struggled to pay athletes their bonuses and allowances at several tournaments.
Both the women’s senior team at the Women’s World Cup in France and the men’s FIFA U20 World Cup team in Poland also embarked on pay strikes to press for their entitle
14 Comments
Suspending the strike, only to restart another in the future.
What a Federation!
Unfortunately, the Eagles might lose against Guinea because it’s on record that anytime there’s bonus row in Super Eagles’camp, the team never does well in the next match, irrespective of whether they were paid before the next match or not. The fact is, the winning momentum in camp has been disrupted and lost. What a pity!
To hell with them , if dem like let them play , we no more give a damn!!..98% of them have not been to AFCON , therefore they have a lot to lose with regards to third career!!
I can’t believe this greedy and unpatriotic behaviour! What is Mikel doing? Can’t he talk to his colleagues? To play in the AFCON for free is a great honour for any player (not that I’m saying that they don’t deserve to be rewarded for their sweat). Once the issue of bonus comes in, we know that the players are a bunch of greedy guys serving their ever hungry stomachs. Shame.
Dont worry…when your own boss doesn’t pay you your dues…keep quiet and tell him it is a great honour to work for him. Hypocrisy of the highest order!
If these players should get injured on the pitch, they will be left to their fate by the same federation.
Monkey dey work, baboon dey chop…before you know what is happening, the money will develop wings and fly away.
We are in 2019, yet the promises made to the 1994 set haven’t been fulfilled….not that the funds weren’t approved..but were approved and diverted. Our players are wiser now.
U20…bonus row, Falcons..bonus row….SE bonus row…but the estacodes and traveling allowances of FA officials and their family members and concubines are always intact.
Honour my foot…!!!
You dey mind them at all?
What is unpatriotic about demanding for what is rightly yours.. These are footballers and not civil servants who can continue working for a year without pay.. Most of the guys play abroad where things are done in the normal way. This money has been released a long time ago, nff surely have the money but won’t pay. I just hate this country. After they would say they want to win World Cup with higher organized nations participating.. If I could get a chance to change nationality to an european country I won’t think twice
I would advise you to give it a try and see what would happened in the end. Do you think money can buy happiness? Go ahead and do so bro. Nigeria is a great country with bad people. Africa is the best place to live. That is for sure.
Go to America, Europe and Asia still, Africa is ahead of them all if you know what to do. The only problem Africans have is transparency.
CAF gave each nation that is playing in this year Afcon money but our people are greedy and they won’t pay them in time because of the interests they are going to get from the money.
It’s everywhere. Only God can help.
I won’t blame the players for their rights but they can do it in a matured way.
They should learn from Super Falcons now. They should win the trophy first and stay in Egypt until their money has been received but I think they don’t have what it takes to win the tournament that is why they are acting like this before today’s match.
Anytime they do this, they will lose the next match. The records are there.
Why they didn’t do this before their first match? I am watching them with their tricks. Super Falcons are really good at this. I think Super Eagles have nothing to offer Nigeria.
I didn’t watch the 1st match and today’s game is not guaranteed if I’m going to watch it though. And also, I don’t want to waste my time for nothing.
This is the first time in history this will happened because I love Super Eagles a lot but the passion is not there anymore. Well, what do I know. Only God can help 9ja. God bless Nigeria!!!
Achi,as much I would want to call for this uncommon patriotism from our players, but I wouldn’t do that, because agreement is agreement.
If they agreed to pay the players match winning bonus let them pay.
I don’t like the free work attitude whatever many of us are calling for.
Let the NFF pay them before talking about patriotism.
I don’t like leaders who are not patriotic themselves but demand that citizens should be patriotic.
Any of you here condemning these guys for demanding what is rightfully theirs will NEVER get what is rightly yours. What goes round comes back around.
So they will play free,suffer and injure themselves with families and bills to cater for while NFF officials that don’t break any sweats will sit down in air-conditioned rooms and siphon money meant for the players.
Patriotism kee devil there!
Patriotism my foot!
You think you are more patriotic than these guys but you work and collect salary,you sell and make profit,you do NYSC and collect allowee,you pastor a church and collect offerings. You guys should be ashamed of yourselves for trying in any way to castigate these guys bleeding for this godforsaken country.
Aren’t NFF officials ashamed that in every major tournament, they are involved in imbroglios with bonus payments? ALWAYS!!!
Its a shame.
And someone will come here to type nonsenses!!
I’m beginning to believe that some NFF officials are in this blog,or their family members or friends or associates but you know what? The bone you are trying to swallow will definitely get stuck in your throat.
Greedy bunches!!
I even support the players to boycott matches until they are fully paid. It is their business and they deserve every dime out of it. Not to talk about the poor welfare package Nigeria has for their injured players.
Mtcheeeew!!!
Most of us work and we get paid. We get committed to the work and we still get paid. So if patriotism or commitment will deny you of your self and financial rights, then what course are we fighting for. Football is a job and it must be seen as other jobs. These are matured men who have responsibilities and those responsibilities must be attended to at fullest potential. If an NGO could adequately pay their workers who render humanitarian and societal service, then how much more any other organisation. These guys are not robot. Take note
My brother don’t mind the hypocritical pseudo-patriots…!
No mind them o my brother.
Those who played football for patriotism’s sake back then, where are they today..? Rotting on hospital beds with their families scampering here and there soliciting for funds to take care of them.
NFF pls pay the eagles…!
Good guys