The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has refuted claims of an existing policy to pay the sum of $10,000 as a win bonus to players of the Super Eagles, stressing today that there is no going back on the $5000 it is currently paying.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has refuted claims of an existing policy to pay the sum of $10,000 as a win bonus to players of the Super Eagles, stressing today that there is no going back on the $5000 it is currently paying.
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Speaking in Abuja, NFF General Secretary, Musa Amadu, debunked a statement to that effect made by the Chairman of Kano Pillars Football Club and former Special Assistant to the Director General of the National Sports Commission, Alhaji Abba Yola.
“We are surprised to read the statement by Alhaji Abba Yola,” Amadu said. “He was involved enough to know exactly what went on in the days of the Presidential Task Force. The task force had a meeting with the NFF and said they had agreed to increase the team’s win-bonus to $10,000, but that the NFF would only need to pay the normal $5,000 while the task force paid the balance of $5,000.”
He denied, however, that that agreement is “written or captured” as a policy of the federation.
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“The present NFF administration came into office to meet the situation of $10,000 and with good intention, decided to continue paying the players that sum in order to motivate them,” he explained.
He said that now that the NFF is “challenged” and needs cut its coat according to its cloth, there ought to be no hoopla over the slashing.
In his words, “When the NFF President and a couple of Members of Executive Committee met with the Management of Super Eagles over the matter, and craved their support over the constraints that we have at the moment, they expressed their understanding and that was why the NFF went ahead to implement.”
Amadu expressed disapproval of the tendency of commentators and even administrators to blame the NFF for the bonus row, saying that the federation has gone to great lengths to explain the situation and expects those who should show understanding to give a dispassionate opinion.
“Even at $5,000, the Super Eagles remain among the best-paid national teams in Africa. It is a decision of the NFF Executive Committee, taken after thorough deliberation, and we cannot go back on it no matter the amount of blackmail.”
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