As it stands, Nigeria's 2018 World Cup qualifying
campaign may be over before it even begins. This
is because the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF)
has said it is so broke that it cannot afford to fly
the Super Eagles players to Zambia for next
month's third-round qualifier.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is right now
shopping for N85 million to execute the 2018
World Cup qualifier against the Chipolopolo of
Zambia on October 9 in Ndola.
The NFF had in recent weeks been lamenting what
an official described as ‘no cash’ situation to
carry on their activities, particularly the fast
approaching tie against Zambia.
A top official of the body told The Guardian
yesterday that they require about N85 million for
the match in Ndola.
We need about N85 million to take care of the
match against Zambia on October 9, but as we
speak, we don’t have any kobo in our purse.
We
have appealed to Globacom to come to our aid by
footing the bills. We are still waiting for response
from the Federal Government,” the official stated.
Breaking down the NFF budget for the World Cup
qualifier against Zambia, the official, who pleaded
anonymity, said:
“The charges for the Airline alone is $200,000 for
a 140-seater plane, and it will be on ground with
the team for two days. We need between $6,000
and $10,000 for flight ticket to bring in the players.
Their bonuses alone are within the range of N30
million. We don’t have any kobo in our purse right
now, hence the need for us to approach Glo to
come to our aid. But the Federal Government still
has to play its part because this is the beginning
of our campaign for the 2018 World Cup qualifying
ticket. If we must get it right, every hand must be
on deck,” the official stated.
The Super Eagles versus Chipolopolo’s 2018 World
Cup qualifier was initially billed for Monday,
October 3, but the hosts, Zambia moved the date
to Sunday October 9 without giving any reason.
The venue still remains Levy Mwanawasa Stadium
in Ndola.
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