….Charges Super Eagles to bring home the cup
By Chibuike Nwabuko
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – Human Rights Activist and federal lawmaker that represented Kaduna Central Senatorial District at the 8th senate, Senator Shehu Sani has commended the federal government for the payment of twelve billion naira (N12billion) outstanding debt to Super Eagles.
Shehu Sani who described the action as unprecedented, added that the Coach, players and the management of the national team have no reason to disappoint the country.
He therefore charged the Super Eagles to bring home the cup to reciprocate the gesture by the federal government.
The Kaduna lawmaker who stated this via his X (formerly twitter) account said:
“The payment of N12Billion Super Eagles outstanding debt by the FG is commendable. This is unprecedented. The Coach, the Players and the Management of the national team have NO reason to disappoint the country.The Super Eagles must bring home the Cup.@thenff”.
Sundiata Post recalls that President Bola Tinubu has cleared the outstanding payment that the Federal Government owed the Super Eagles and other sporting teams of the country.
The Tinubu’s Media Centre, while announcing the news on the X handle on Sunday said, the payment entails the clearing of the senior national team coach salaries running up to 15 months, payments of allowances and promises due to the senior national teams, females, and Under-20 national team.
The statement reads, “President @officialABAT has approved the payment of N12 billion outstanding backlog for Nigeria’s National teams of various sports, which includes Super Eagles and others.
“The payment entails the clearing of the senior national team coach salaries running up to 15 months, payments of allowances and promises due to the senior national teams, females, and Under-20 national team.
“This is coming at a time when the Super Eagles of Nigeria are preparing to participate in the Africa Cup of Nations, which is billed to start later this month.”
Recall that in 2020, the Super Eagles complained that the Federal Government was yet to release the N1.5bn approved for them to compete at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Eagles finished third in the tournament behind winners Algeria and runners-up Senegal.
A top source in the Nigeria Football Federation said that the NFF had to divert the funds meant for the Super Falcons and the Flying Eagles to prepare the Eagles for the tournament.
Also, in January 2022, Super Eagles captain Ahmed Musa said FG owed his teammates bonuses for two games.
Musa disclosed this in a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday as the Super Eagles few days to the Nations Cup.
“Regarding the bonus, I think they are just owing us for two games now. Yeah, two games,” Musa said. “There is no other outstanding outside these two games.”
Musa added that the players will “be having a meeting with the coach and maybe the NFF officials so we can take the next step forward.”
Meanwhile the tournament starts on 13th of January and the opening game is between Ivory Coast and Guinea Bissau at 13:00hours while Nigeria will play Equatorial Guinea on Sunday, 14th January at 14:00hours.
