Abandoned Flying Eagles beg: NFF please pay us

Against all the odds, the Flying Eagles are through to the semifinal of the WAFU B U20 AFCON qualifying tournament in Togo.

The team, who have literally been abandoned to their fate in Lome even though they are now just a match away from qualifying for the U20 AFCON, have sent out a passionate appeal to the NFF to pay them.

They have not received a kobo since they began training camp in Abuja more than a month ago.

Even in Togo, they have not been paid the routine camp allowance.

A source close to the team told SCORENigeria: “It’s a disgrace just how this team have been badly, badly treated.

“They have been abandoned as if they are not a team proudly flying the Nigerian flag.

“The NFF president came around the team for their opening match, but sadly he did not offer them any succour or even hope.

“The NFF have certainly outdone themselves here on how to mismanage a team.”

SCORENigeria has severally reported that the U20s are also yet to be paid outstanding bonuses and allowances from various competitions since 2022.

These include qualifying bonuses for the WAFU B qualifying tournament, which they topped, as well as the U20 AFCON in Egypt last year.

Camp allowances at both the U20 AFCON and the subsequent U20 World Cup in Argentina have also not been paid.

Interestingly, these monies were covered by the bailout approved by President Bola Tinbu in January.

The intervention fund, which rose from 12 Billion Naira to 17 Billion Naira, has been cooling in the NFF accounts for several months now.