EAGLES' PLAYERS TO EARN N22.4M

Eagles in action
Notwithstanding the outcome of the international friendly between the Super Eagles and Zebras of Botswana and Chipolopolo of Zambia, each of the Stephen Keshi-led players would swell his pocket with a whopping N800,000, as appearance fees for both matches.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) will expend N22.4 million on friendly encounters billed for Benin and Kaduna Stadia on November 12 and 15 respectively.

Disclosing this to Daily Sunsports on telephone yesterday, the General Secretary of the federation, Barrister Musa Amadu, said that each of the players would get $500,000 (about N800,000) as appearance fees for the two matches, stressing that the federation doesn't pay winning bonus in non-competitive matches.

Asked if the Glass House would now start the implementing the players' bonus slash from $10,000 to $5000, the federation's chief scribe pointed out that what it pays in friendly matches is only appearance fees, adding that it would continue with the traditional $2,500 (about N400,000) to each player.

'The federation will not start the players' winning bonus slash with the present matches because they are not competitive matches. We will only give them appearance fees. I can tell you that each player will get $2500. The amount was a continuation of fee we usually give to the players as appearance fee,' he noted.

The chief scribe also disclosed that while the Republic of Benin referees would handle the Eagles' Botswana tie in Benin this weekend, referees from Senegal would officiate the encounter against the Chipolopolo of Zambia billed for Kaduna next week Tuesday.

'The kick-off for both matches is 5.00p.m. While referees from the Republic of Benin would be in charge of our game against Botswana in Benin, Senegalese referees would officiate the Eagles' Zambia match in Kaduna,' Amadu told Daily Sunsports from Kaduna on Monday.