BEVERLY HILLS, AUGUST 12, (THEWILL) – The Samson Siasia-led Dream Team IV have reportedly shunned training and threatened to boycott Saturday’s quarter-final match against Denmark over unpaid allowances in Brazil.
Reports from Rio indicate that the protest is also tied to the unpaid five month salaries and allowances of the coaches which the NFF president, Amaju Pinnick has directed the secretariat to settle with the $60,000 grant received from CAF recently.
Some of the players revealed that their level of patriotism has already dwindled because of the way they have been treated by the government officials prior to the Olympic Games.
“As we speak now, the only money that the players have received was the $150 dollars per day for 11 days, while there are more than that 11 days still to be paid and no extra money was received for the matches played so far,” a source disclosed.
The team, who topped Group B, despite going down 2-0 to Colombia on Wednesday, are following in the steps of the senior national team, the Super Eagles who also protested in Brazil before their second round match against France at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
THEWILL recalls that a similar protest by the U-20 team, the Flying Eagles cost them a match against Sudan who beat them 4-3 in Lagos after a 1-2 home loss in Omdurman.
Story by David Oputah
