The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) has admitted to their inability to pay its coaching staff due to a lack of funds.
The salary payments which they have been unable to make have lasted for as long as over one year and some of the parties affected includes the current Super Eagles senior team head coach Jose Peseiro and Landan Bosso, the coach of the Nigerian national Under 20 team who are participating at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina.
Ibrahim Gusau cleaning up Amaju Pinnick mess 👇
Super Eagles Head Coach, Jose Peseiro, has been paid $210,000 (about N156,400,000), being three of the 10 months salary owed him by the Nigeria Football Federation.
— Adepoju Tobi Samuel 🇳🇬 (@OgaNlaMedia) March 30, 2023
The team just knocked out the tournament’s host nation, Argentina, to advance to the quarterfinals of the tournament.
NFF Owing Arrears of Salary
It is understood that Bosso has only earned three months salary in the 15 months he has been in charge of the Under 20 side.
Also, the head coach of the Nigerian national women’s team, Randy Waldrum, is said to be owed more than $100,000 (over N46 million) in wages as well as bonuses from the last Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
The Super Falcons coach is set to lead his side to the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. They will face Canada, Australia and the Republic of Ireland in the group stages which starts on the 20th of July, 2023.
“The NFF has been facing huge financial challenges and there is an ongoing effort to resolve all the issues relating to unpaid wages,” Ademola Olajire, the NFF's director of communications, told BBC Sport Africa.
“It is unfortunately not something to be proud of and the new board of the federation is working hard to resolve the problems.”
The current NFF president, Ibrahim Gusau, who replaced former NFF president, Amaju Pinnick, in September, had some of the debts from his predecessor passed onto him and has been appealing to players and officials for patience. Due to his appeals, the coaching and playing staff are yet to make an official complaint.
The President of the Nigerian Football Federation has also made contact with sponsors to encourage them to settle long-standing debts but the federation, which receives part of its income from the government, also owes outstanding bonuses to players. This includes the members of both the senior men’s and women’s sides.
The missing payments to Super Eagles players currently dates back all the way to 2021, while the Super Falcons squad made the decision to boycott training ahead of their 2022 WAFCON third-place play-off against Zambia over the lack of payment of both their bonuses and allowances.
🇳🇬 The Flying Eagles of Nigeria are making their mark at the FIFA U20 World Cup.
They are through to the quarterfinals following a 2-0 win over hosts Argentina 👏 pic.twitter.com/HzDHWMKcPb
— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) June 1, 2023
Also, members of the Flying Eagles squad, who beat the tournament hosts, Argentina, in their last-16 tie on Wednesday, are owed qualifying bonuses and tournament allowances as well. One member of the Super Eagles senior team, who asked for anonymity, said: “We understand the financial situation affecting the NFF.
“The new president recently spoke to the captain (Ahmed Musa) and other senior players about our outstanding bonuses. He has been speaking to some of the sponsors and sports ministry, but we just hope that it will be sorted out as promised.”
It is not the first time the nation has owed their coaching staff payments either, as Samson Siasia, Augustin Eguavoen, Sunday Oliseh and the late Stephen Keshi, among others have been owed wages.
This article was most recently revised and updated 2 years ago
