NFF scraps the payment of winning bonuses for Golden Eaglets and other youth teams

FOOTBALLERS representing Nigeria in all under-17 tournaments including the Golden Eaglets will no longer get match bonuses as part of a new Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) austerity programme introduced in the face of limited funds.

 

Like all other government departments, the NFF is facing tough times at the moment, due to reduced allocations and the agency has had to resort to raising money from the private sector to fund its operations. However, despite the Super Eagles being a very marketable brand and football enjoying religious following in Nigeria, the NFF has been unable to cash in on this.

 

Faced with dwindling resources, the NFF has resorted to cutting back its expenditure and in a desperate measure has decided that the World Cup winning Golden Eaglets will no longer receive match bonuses. Other developmental teams affected by the decision, include the U-17 female team, the Super Flamingoes and the U-13 and U-15 national teams.

 

One NFF official said: “The players of these national teams will no longer be entitled to match bonuses because of lack of funds caused by the economic downturn in the country. Funding has been very, very poor for the federation.”

 

In the past, the Eaglets received $1,000 a player as win bonus at major tournaments. This has helped inspire the team to a record five World Cup wins, making Nigeria the most successful nation in male schoolboy football.

 

NFF president, Amaju Pinnick, expressed regret at the decision, adding that they resorted to scrapping bonuses rather disbanding any of the teams. He added that despite this, however, he is confident that Nigerian football will do well in 2016, expressing confidence that the Super Eagles, will qualify for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2018 World Cup finals.

 

This year, the qualification rounds for the 2017 Cup of Nations to be hosted by Gabon, will be concluded, with Nigeria in what is considered the group of death. Africa's most successful team in the Nations Cup, the Pharaohs of Egypt are in Nigeria's group and the Eagles will face them in March, while the qualifiers for the 2018 Fifa World Cup will begin in October.

 

In addition, Mr Pinnick, that a holistic solution being packaged for the women’s game in the country has been hampered by the nation’s economy, which affected companies' willingness to pick the bills of the proposed expatriate coach for the senior female team the Super Falcons. He, however, promised a better year, with more milestones waiting to be reached by the nation’s football teams.