The Nigeria Football Federation has opted to pay players and officials of the Super Eagles the full match bonus for Monday’s crunchy 2018 FIFA World Cup encounter against the Lions of Cameroon in Yaounde, even though the tie ended in a draw.
NFF President Amaju Pinnick disclosed this to the team on board the ARIK Air Bombadier CRJ 1000 aircraft that flew the Nigerian delegation back from Yaounde on Tuesday morning.
Excited players and officials applauded as Pinnick insisted it was just reward for a masterclass output by the Nigerian squad over the two legs of the most anticipated fixture of Group B. “When the draw was made last year, people said ours was the Group of Death.
But you have stayed very much alive with scintillating performances and done the nation very proud.” The Member of CAF Executive Committee also disclosed on Tuesday morning that preparations for next month’s big encounter against the Chipolopolo of Zambia, at which the Super Eagles are highly expected to pick the World Cup ticket, has started in earnest.
“Even before the conclusion of this second match against Cameroon in Yaounde, we had started the arrangements for the match against Zambia. The Chairman of Organizing Committee (NFF 1st VP, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi) will travel to Uyo this week to see Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State and they will go through the check –list together.
“Nothing will be left to chance. It is a very big match, and the way things have turned out against Cameroon, it is now an even bigger match than the ones we played against Cameroon. There must be no room for error.”
