Non-payment of Super Eagles bonuses, coaches’ salaries: NFF opens up

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 are 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 realize 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.