The Super Eagles are yet to receive their winning bonuses and allowances from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) despite advancing to the quarter-final in the ongoing 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire.
Jose Peseiro’s team booked their place in the next round of the continental championship after a comfortable 2-0 victory over Cameroon in the knockout stages.
Before the competition began in Ivory Coast, the NFF announced that each national team player would receive a $5,000 win bonus, $2,500 for a draw, and a $200-day camp allowance.
However, despite repeated assurances from the NFF, the players have yet to receive their bonuses, which are reportedly worth millions of naira.
The NFF has broken its silence on the Super Eagles’ unpaid bonuses and allowances, despite receiving a large sum of money from Nigeria’s federal government.
According to the Guardian, the Nigerian football body has blamed its inability to settle Super Eagles’ allowances on the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) delay in releasing the funds meant for the tournament.
The Federal Government declared a N12.5 billion fund for the team’s campaign and other pressing concerns.
However, the players have yet to get their allowances due to the CBN’s delay in releasing the funds.
So far, the Super Eagles have played four games at the ongoing AFCON 2023, winning the last three against Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau, and Cameroon after drawing with Equatorial Guinea in their opening match.
What’s Next?
Nigeria will play Angola’s Giant Sable Antelope in the AFCON 2023 quarterfinals at 6 p.m. on Friday, February 2, 2024, at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan.
