NFF assures on payment of outstanding bonuses of Super Eagles, coaches’ salaries

Wed, Jul 28, 2021
By editor
3 MIN READ

Sports

THE Nigeria Football Federation says it is working at a pace to ensure the payment of outstanding bonuses and allowances of the coaches and players of the senior men national team, Super Eagles, as well as salaries owed the coaches of the team. NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, said in Abuja on Wedneday that the challenges and disruptions caused by the global coronavirus pandemic is still being felt by government institutions and businesses the world over, and there was no need to pretend that these
are normal times.

“The NFF deserves no joy in owing players and coaches their entitlements. The same players and coaches have been well-taken-care-of and provided the necessary facilities when things were normal, and as we work assiduously towards conquering the present challenges and seeing sunlight again, we expect the players, coaches, and administrative staff to show the same level of understanding that they have been showing over the past 18 months.

“Of course, we are pragmatists and we releaize that these things can
be frustrating and some people will boil over and talk about them. It
is normal. Last month, during the friendlies in Austria, we were able
to pay some of the outstanding bonuses and allowances. We are working
at a pace presently to clear what is remaining. As I speak, we are
owing the team bonuses and allowances from only the last two matches,
and payments for these two games have been sent to the Central Bank
some weeks ago. They will receive the monies shortly. We are equally
working to pay the coaches what they are being owed as salaries.”

Dr Sanusi’s comments were in direct reference to a statement credited
to Super Eagles’ defender, Leon Balogun on Tuesday saying the NFF was
owing the players bonuses and allowances. “We have never denied owing
the team. Leon is a senior player that everyone respects for his
quality output on the pitch and calmness and forbearance off it, but I
do not know which reports he was referring to when he said the NFF was
contradicting itself.

“He also talked about playing pitches. Sincerely speaking, the past
few years has seen a remarkable improvement in stadia infrastructure
across the country. The team had to move round the States because the
turf of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja got bad. Now, the
pitch is coming back to shape thanks to the efforts of the present
Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Chief Sunday Dare, who got
the respected Alhaji Aliko Dangote’s company to work on it.

“Presently, we have exciting venues in Uyo, Benin City, Asaba, Kaduna
and Lagos. Without the team moving round the States, the governments
of these States probably would not have devoted much effort into
putting these facilities in world-standard shape. There are remarkable
improvements on facilities in Ibadan, the National Stadium in Lagos
and a new one in Lagos. All these will benefit the teeming youth
population of Nigeria who are interested in sports.”

– July 28, 2021 @ 17:48 GMT |

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