President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Amaju Pinnick has expressed fears the Super Eagles could boycott the 2022 World Cup qualifiers over unpaid bonuses and allowances.
Pinnick sounded out this warning in a letter addressed to sports minister Sunday Dare demanding for balance payments from recent Federal Government intervention funds.
The FGN approved a billion Naira to cover the Eagles 2019 AFCON campaign, the 2019 Women’s World Cup as well as the U20 World Cup.
However, only 700 million Naira was released to the NFF.
The government also approved another 3.2 billion Naira for the Eagles 2018 World Cup campaign in Russia and only 1.5 billion Naira got to the NFF.
Pinnick claimed in his letter that the various national teams led by the Super Eagles could now shun World Cup qualifying campaigns as they are owed various amounts.
He also said the NFF are heavily indebted to hotels and travel agents because of the non-release of these monies.
The Eagles will begin their quest for a place at the 2022 World Cup in March after the draw on January 21.
However, the NFF boss was silent of the various incomes the federation received in the outgoing year.
It included over 3 billion Naira from sponsorships, $2 million from CAF for the Eagles finishing third at the AFCON as well as $1 million from FIFA for the Super Falcons advancing to the Round of 16 at the Women’s World Cup in France.
“They just want to blackmail the government,” NFF director of protocol Oyetunde Aderibigbe told Human Rights Radio today.
This man is an ideot and has no business being NFF president. There should be a way to get him out of there before he totally destroys Nigeria football which he and his cronies are already busy doing.