The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have announced they have reached an agreement with the country’s team what they will earn at next year’s World Cup in Russia to avoid a pay strike of the last World Cup in Brazil.
“We have done it; we have concluded negotiations and come to agreement with the team as regards bonuses, allowances and share of income from FIFA for the 2018 World Cup,” disclosed NFF vice-president Shehu Dikko.
“Every detail has been agreed on match bonus for each match and each round up to the final as well as share of income from FIFA money for each round until the stage we are able to get to at the finals.
“We also agreed on preparation, such as how much players will be paid for the friendly matches, including how and when the monies would be paid. We even delved into how the NFF would apply the funds due to it from FIFA after paying the players their share.”
“We are very happy and excited with this development,” said Super Eagles captain Mikel Obi
“This is the first time since I started playing for the senior team that I would see everything regarding preparation and bonuses and allowances put down in black and white and a binding agreement executed.
“It is reassuring that we now have a federation leadership so committed to making everything work that they arranged this meeting and allowed the players to contribute and then set out to sign the agreement.”
NFF president Amaju Pinnick and general secretary Mohammed Sanusi signed for the NFF, while Gernot Rohr and Salisu Yusuf signed for the technical crew and Captain Mikel Obi and Ahmed Musa signed for the players.
It would be recalled that at the last World Cup in Brazil, the Super Eagles missed a training session in protest over bonuses and allowances and share of the income from FIFA, forcing the Nigerian government to dispatch then Sports Minister Tammy Danagogo to Brazil with millions of dollars in cash