No bonus row in U-23 team —Official

February 25, 2015

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Coach of the U-23 team, Samson Siasia

National U-23 team media officer, Timi Ebikagboro, has denied reports (not The PUNCH) that players and officials of the team rejected the $1,000 offered them by the Nigeria Football Federation after their 4-1 victory over Gabon in a 2015 All Africa Games qualifier.

The players, who arrived in Abuja on Monday afternoon, were reportedly set for a showdown with the federation, insisting that the bonus was too small for them.

But Ebikagboro said the reports were not true, saying the players were not even aware of how much the federation would pay them for the emphatic victory on Saturday in Libreville.

“It’s not true; I don’t know where they got their reports from. Truly we haven’t collected our bonuses but it’s not because the officials and players rejected it. We trained this morning (Tuesday) before some Enyimba and Warri Wolves players left for their clubs because of continental engagements. If there was a bonus row, we couldn’t have trained,” Ebikagboro said on Tuesday.

“We haven’t discussed anything like that. I’ve been with the coach (Samson Siasia) and nothing like bonus of the officials and players have been discussed. Right now the players don’t know how much their match bonus is. The coach charged the boys to make the country proud and that is exactly what they did in Libreville. They gave us our basic entitlements before we embarked on the trip for the match. The reports are a distraction to the team,” he added.

The return leg of the AAG qualifier is scheduled for March 7 in Abuja. The winners over both legs will battle Zambia, who walked over Madagascar for a place at the Games in Congo later in the year.