May 31, (THEWILL) – Officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have acknowledged the concerning issue of delayed salary payments to national team coaches.
Some of the outstanding payments have been pending for over a year, affecting notable coaches such as Jose Peseiro, who leads the men’s senior team, and Ladan Bosso, the coach of the male Under-20 team at the ongoing World Cup in Argentina, where they have advanced to the second round. Shockingly, Bosso has received only three months’ salary in the past 15 months.
The predicament extends to the women’s side as well, with the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand just around the corner. Super Falcons coach Randy Waldrum is owed more than $100,000, including bonuses from last year’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON). Ademola Olajire, the NFF’s director of communications, expressed regret over the matter, stating: “The NFF has been facing significant financial challenges, and we are actively working towards resolving all issues related to unpaid wages. It is unfortunate and not something we take pride in. The new board is dedicated to finding solutions to these problems.”
Ibrahim Gusau, who assumed the NFF presidency in September, inherited some of the debts from his predecessor, Amaju Pinnick, and has been urging players and officials to remain patient, leading to the coaches refraining from lodging an official complaint. Gusau has reached out to sponsors, seeking their assistance in settling long-standing debts. However, the Federation, which relies on government funding, also owes outstanding bonuses to players from both the senior men’s and women’s teams.
Recent reports indicate that Super Eagles players have experienced missing payments dating back to 2021, while the Super Falcons squad boycotted training before their 2022 WAFCON third-place play-off against Zambia due to unpaid bonuses and allowances. Additionally, members of the U20 squad, set to face hosts Argentina in the last-16 tie on Wednesday night, are also awaiting qualifying bonuses and tournament allowances.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
