NFF Threatens To Boycott International Matches Over Debts - Latest Sports in Nigeria

NFF Threatens To Boycott International Matches Over Debts

By Niyi Busari

The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, has threatened to withdraw from oncoming international competitions if the federal government fails to release all monies approved for the participation of all the national teams in international competitions, BSNSports.com.ng can report.

This is contained in a letter from the NFF requesting the Minister of Youth and Sports, Sunday Dare to intervene with the Ministry of Finance with regards to monies approved by His Excellence, President Muhammadu Buhari for the activities and programmes of the national teams in the year 2019 and which the NFF is yet to recover.

The letter revealed that the federation spent the sum of Sixty-five million Five hundred and Eighty five thousand, also Two hundred and Seventy-eight thousand Four hundred and Eighty five US Dollars (N65,585,000 and $278,485) while Ninety-one million two hundred and Thirty Thousand and Five hundred and Two Thousand One hundred and Twenty five US Dollars (N91,230,000 and $502,125) were expended by the NFF on the Nigeria's U17 national team in 2019 African Nations Cup and the World Cup in Brazil respectively.

For the U20 (Flying Eagles), the NFF claimed that the sum of N71,464,000 and $1,373,350 were expended on the Nigeria U20 national team at the 2019 FIFA U20 World Cup in Poland.

However, the Nigeria's Flying Eagles protested over non-payment of allowance and bonuses when they were knocked out by their African brothers, Senegal (2-1) at the Round of 16 of the 2019 FIFA U20 World Cup in Poland.

Meanwhile, for the FIFA Women's World Cup finals in France, according to the NFF, the sum of Seven million, Nine hundred and Ten Thousand . Also, the sum of Five hundred and Twenty Thousand and Five Hundred US Dollars (N7,910,000 and $520,500) were spent on preparations of the Super Falcons while One hundred and Four Million, Two Hundred and Twenty Five Thousand and One Million, Nine Hundred Eighty Seven Thousand Two Hundred Fifty (N104,225,000 and $1,987,250) were expended on for the participation of the Falcons at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France.

Though, Falcons, however, protested after losing 0-3 to Germany in the Round of 16 of the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, saying they will not leave their hotel in France for Nigeria unless they were paid bonuses and allowance owed by the NFF.

For the African Cup of Nations (AFCON 2019) the federation wrote that the sum of N3,280,000 and $686,000 were spent on the Super Eagles for the preparations while $6,936,200 are spent at the African Nation's finals. The sum of N47,290,000 and $365,184 were spent on the execution of the African Games in Morocco where Nigeria finished Third.

For the U23 national team, NFF claimed the Sum of N31,027,500 and $141,405 was spent on away match against Libya while N28,105,00 and $18,350 was spent on the home win. N16,338,525 and $191,705 was spent on Sudan away match while the home game gulped N64,135,000 and $18,350.

However, BSN Sports investigation showed that the officials and players of the team were owed backlog of salaries, bonuses and allowance for more than 14 months. They officials and players who pleaded that their names should not be mentioned said that they were paid any money since their first and matches of the U23 African qualifier against Libya and Sudan.

Meanwhile, 12 companies signed a 4-year sponsorship deal with the Nigeria Football Federation, the deal which commenced in 2018 lasts till 2022.

Here are the sponsors and amount paid to the NFF for each year

Aiteo Group Two hundred and forty million and Six hundred tbousand US Dollars (N240,000,000 and $600,000) for the national teams while the sum of N500,000,000 is paid for Aiteo FA Cup.

2) Peak Milk N40,000,000 (Forty Million naira),.

3) Pay Porte pays N80,000,000 (Eighty million naira).

4) Big Bull N100,000,000 (One Hundred million naira)

5) 1xbet pays One and fifty thousand US dollars ($150,000)

6) Simba Twenty million naira (N20,000,000)

7) WAPIC Insurance One hundred million (N100,000,000

8) Coca-Cola Eight Hundred Thousand US Dollars ($800,000)

9) Tom-Tom Sixty million Naira (N60,000,000)

10) Nigeria Breweries Four Hundred and Fifty Million (450,000,000)

11) Emzor Forty Million Naira (N40,000,000)

12) Zenith Bank One Hundred and Fifty Million (N150,000,000)

13) NIKE Not stated

In another letter written by the NFF to the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, through its president, Amaju Pinnick and signed by the Director of Finance and Administration of the Federation, Salihu Cheku Mohammed, revealed that the federation received the total sum of (N1,780,000,000) One billion Seven hundred and Eighty Million Naira and One Million Five Hundred and Fifty Thousand US Dollars ($1,550,000) each year from the sponsors.

Investigation also revealed that State Governments in Nigeria were responsible for the cost of the expenses spent on the national teams to execute their qualifying matches for major tournaments.