ABUJA, Nigeria, March 11 – Nigeria’s footballers could earn more than $100,000 (Sh8.65m) each if they become the first African team to win the World Cup this year.
The figure pales into insignificance compared to the $800,000 (Sh69m)-plus given by Spain to its players who won the 2010 cup however.
And Nigeria’s players are already angry about unpaid prizes from last year’s African Cup of Nations triumph.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has asked the country’s parliament to approve 1.2 billion-naira ($7.2 million) for the Super Eagles’ bid to become the first World Cup winners from Africa.
Under the NFF budget, submitted to parliament on Monday, each player would pocket $10,000 for each group stage victory.
There is a $12,000 bonus for a win in the round of 16, $15,000 in the quarter-final, $20,000 in the semi-final and $30,000 in the final.
In addition, every one of the 23-man squad will get a daily allowance of $200, taking the potential total bonuses and allowances for the 32-day competition to $2.6 million.
The remaining cash will go towards the fees of coaches and backroom staff, accommodation, business class air travel and training camps in the United States and Brazil.
Nigeria have been beset by financial problems, in particular over bonuses.
There have been heated discussions between players and the federation. Coach Stephen Keshi and his assistants have gone months without pay, forcing the government, which funds the NFF, to step in.
Nigeria captain Vincent Enyeama has called on Africa’s richest man, cement, sugar and flour magnate Aliko Dangote, to keep a pledge to pay the team $1 million.
Dangote, who is worth $25 billion according to Forbes magazine, was one of several wealthy Nigerians to promise cash if the team won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.
No one was immediately available for comment at Dangote’s office when contacted by AFP. But the tycoon was reported as telling the BBC that he had been waiting for the NFF to make contact.
“We will write to them, asking for the account numbers of the players then we’ll make the transfer immediately,” he was quoted as saying on the BBC website.
Last week, the Cross River state government kept a promise to give land in the city of Calabar to each player and official of the triumphant 2013 squad.
