Super Eagles, NFF set for another bonus row

Another time-bomb packaged as match bonus will detonate in the Super Eagles camp after their international friendly match with Uganda at the Akwa Ibom Stadium in Uyo on Wednesday.

TheCable has been reliably informed that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has slashed into half the match bonus of the Super Eagles.

The team usually earns $10,000 for a win and $5,000 for a draw, with the coach earning 100% of that but a new bonus regime of $5,000 for a win and $2,500 for a draw has been decided by the NFF.

“The NFF, claiming to be broke, took the decision to slash the bonus of the players,” the source said.

“They have a ready excuse in the naira: dollar exchange rate saying the fluctuation is adversely affecting them.

“My concern really is that the players are in the dark about this development and I wonder how they will react when it’s announced to them most likely after the game with the Cranes of Uganda.”

Surely, the row this will generate will not be in the magnitude of what transpired at the last World Cup in Brazil where the sports minister had to cover 8,332 miles from Brasilia to Abuja and back to one of the biggest cities in South America just to maintain “peace” in the Super Eagles camp.

The NFF don’t have a peacemaker, but their spokesperson, Ademola Olajire, couldn’t be reached for his comments.

But Toyin Ibitoye, the newly appointed media officer of the senior national team, said he was unaware of the matter.

“I’m not aware of the NFF cutting the Super Eagles match bonus,” he said.

“I’ll let you know if I have any news on it.”

Nigeria’s game with Uganda on Wednesday and South Africa on Saturday are part of the Super Eagles’ preparation for the 2017 Orange Africa Cup of Nations and 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.