Super Eagles did not agree one million Naira bonus - Siasia

Samson Siasia, head coach at the time the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) claimed they met with the Super Eagles and it was agreed the win bonus for a home win was pegged at a million Naira, has denied there was such an agreement.


In an official press statement Wednesday signed by spokesman Ademola Olajire and quoting Eagles team administrator, Dayo Enebi, the NFF claimed officials as well as captain and vice-captain were at a meeting in Kaduna in March when it was agreed the players will be paid a million Naira each for a home win.

But Siasia has now rubbished such a claim.

“I don’t know anything about one million (Naira),” Siasia opened up when contacted on Thursday.

“The agreement was that they will pay the equivalent of dollars at the bank rate, official rate. I don’t know about anything else.”

He was further questioned – The agreement they had with you was they will pay with current bank rate and there was no time that the players will be paid a million Naira each for a home win?

“No, no, no,” he replied.

Several other officials equally denied any agreement that the players be paid a million Naira each for a Super Eagles home win.

They were to be paid $5,000 for a home win at the official Naira rate the time the match was played.

Further investigations revealed that at the time of the AFCON double-header qualifiers against Egypt, the official bank rate to the USD was around 200 Naira and that explained why they were paid 500,000 Naira each for the home draw with Egypt ($2500 x 200).

The Eagles were paid a million Naira each, being the same rate, when they beat Tanzania in an AFCON in September, that was even when the Naira had seriously depreciated even at bank rate.

The players therefore ought to receive far more for the 2018 World Cup qualifier against Algeria in Uyo in November because the Naira had depreciated against the dollar and the official rate was between 310 and 315 Naira.