FLYING EAGLES CRY FOR HELP OVER AYC BONUS

Nigeria's Flying Eagles are pleading with the government to redeem a promise made to the team after they won the 2011 African Youth Championship in South Africa.

Then sports minister Taoheed Adedoja promised at an elaborate reception for the team in Lagos on arrival from Johannesburg that the ministry will pay players and officials double their match bonuses for their final game against Cameroon.

Flying Eagles coach John Obuh again revisited this promise when the senate committee on sports headed by Senator Adamu Gumba watched the team's training in Abuja Tuesday afternoon.

'We were promised by the government more than a year ago that we will receive twice the match bonus we were paid by the Nigeria Football Federation for beating Cameroon to win the AYC but up till now we are yet to receive this money,' lamented Obuh.

Senator Abdul Ningi then demanded from the director general of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Patrick Ekeji, why it has taken more than a year to redeem this pledge. Ekeji informed the team that the NSC will still make good this pledge despite the delay.

The Nigeria U-20 team is getting set for next month's 2013 AYC qualifier away in Tanzania. They tackle their Tanzanian counterparts on July 28 with the return leg in Nigeria a fortnight later.