The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has paid to the Super Eagles $10,000 match bonus instead of $5,000 bonus they
should have received for playing 0-0 draw with Iran at the Arena da Baixada in Curitiba on Monday.
It will be recalled that the NFF had agreed to pay the players $5,000 bonus for draw and $10,000 for outright win.
A dependable source close to the NFF secretariat here told Daily Trust yesterday that the match bonus was paid to the players immediately after the match, which many criticised the Super Eagles of putting up a mediocre performance.
Our source who pleaded anonymity, said the leadership of the Glass House took the decision to motivate the players to do better in their last two group games against Bosnia & Herzegovina and Argentina.
“Yesterday’s (Monday) game is a great set back to Nigeria and the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation. However, in an effort to motivate the players and ensure that Nigeria advance from the group, NFF paid the players what is supposed to be a winning bonus even though the team drew against Iran.
“The secretariat staff was ordered to pay each of the players 10,000 dollars, which in a normal case is a winning bonus, and the money was paid to them immediately after the match,” our source said.
The source also said that the coaching crew led by Stephen Keshi and other backroom staff were equally paid winning bonus for the match.
The Super Eagles will on Saturday take on Bosnia & Herzegovina at Arena Pantanal Cuiaba in their second Group F.