NFF Slashes Super Eagle’s Bonuses and Salaries

                  

The Nigeria Football Federation has taken a very significant step to curtail overhead cost in the administration of football in the country. The Technical and Development Committee of the federation, which met in Abuja on Tuesday, recommended for immediate implementation, a list of decisions that would substantively cut down the cost of prosecuting games involving the national teams.

One of the major decisions is the review of the salaries of all the national team coaches, including that of Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi.

The General Secretary of the NFF, Mr. Musa Amadu, said on Tuesday that the federation was simply facing the reality on ground.

He said, “If you take just a simple look at the period around June and the cost implication for the country, for instance, you will understand that the measures being taken have become very necessary. We cannot continue like this; there has to be sensible auditing.”

The NFF added that based on the poor financial situation, the committee has also recommended the staff auditing of the technical crew and backroom staff of all the national teams. This move will see the national team coaches being cut down to maximum of two assistants and a goalkeeper trainer. The Eagles have three assistant coaches plus a goalkeeper trainer. The other backroom staffers are to be cut down too.

The players themselves were not spared in the latest decision. Their win bonus, which was raised to $10,000 some years ago has been cut down to $5,000. The bonus became an issue after the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa as the NFF could not pay the final game bonus after it was nearly doubled from the pre-tournament rate.

“The Committee regrets the financial situation that has also necessitated the pegging of bonuses, review of allowances and salaries of coaches of the national teams,” the committee communiqué read.