/ 30 January 2000

NIGERIAN PLAYERS REJECT WIN BONUS

NIGERIA’S football players have rejected the win bonus for their 4-2 African Nations Cup victory over Tunisia at the weekend. “In Spain, both the players and NFA (Nigerian Football Federation) agreed that for every match won we will get $3000 each,” said one of the players who did not want to be named.

“But when we beat Tunisia, they brought us $2500 each. This is not what we had agreed on. The players have therefore refused to sign for the money,” he said.

NFA Secretary-General Tijjani Yusuf, however, denied any problem in the Super Eagles camp.

“There is nothing like that. If there were such a problem, they wouldn’t be training for their next match,” he said.

Nigeria meet Congo on Friday.

Money has often been a vexed issue between players and officials.

Two years ago at the World Cup in France, the Super Eagles threatened to boycott the second round match against Denmark after a row over bonuses.