Super Eagles players missed out on massive payday to the tune of $70,000 each following their inability to reach the Round of 16 at the Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Nigeria were four minutes away from clinching a place in the round of 16 until Marcos Rojo scored to secure a 2-1 win for Argentina in Saint Petersburg in their final Group D game.
The Super Eagles had received $8m for taking part in the group stage of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and $1.5m for tournament costs.
Had the Super Eagles progressed from the group stage of the competition to the round of 16, they would be rewarded with an extra $4m (a total of $12m with the tournament costs) meaning that each player would get $70,000 for their feat after they had agreed unanimously among themselves, a team source who pleaded anonymity revealed to CSN.
“We did not just only fail to equal our best finish at the World Cup in Russia, the team also missed $70,000 for each player which we would have received for reaching the round of 16,” the source told CSN.
“It was disappointing because we had a better team at the World Cup in Russia than we did in Brazil and yet we could not get past the group stage.”
Nigeria will begin their 2019 African Cup of Nations qualifiers in September when they take on Seychelles in Victoria.