Sports
NFF To Discuss Unpaid Salaries Surrounding S’Eagles Coach
Public scrutiny grew this week after reports revealed that the Super Eagles boss is owed three months’ salary and unpaid bonuses. The issue surfaced despite Chelle having made no formal complaint since taking over in January following Augustine Eguavoen’s exit.
Under the Malian coach, optimism has returned to the Super Eagles setup. Although Nigeria struggled during the World Cup qualification period before his appointment, Chelle has not lost a competitive match in regulation time, and his calm leadership has been widely praised.
Tension heightened when news of his unpaid wages came to light, raising questions about Nigeria’s AFCON readiness and the federation’s administrative processes.
Senior officials within the NFF told Tidesports source that the salary delay was linked to financial processing rather than neglect. They explained that Chelle had earlier received advance payments, and his pending earnings had already been approved internally. Final disbursement, they said, is now awaiting treasury clearance.
The federation has faced increased calls to improve its internal structure after a turbulent 2024 marked by managerial instability. Finidi George resigned after failing to receive adequate institutional support, prompting Eguavoen’s brief return before Chelle’s appointment.
Additional context emerged in May when the National Sports Commission confirmed it funded Chelle’s salary upfront until October through a presidential support arrangement with that temporary arrangement now expired, the responsibility has reverted fully to the NFF.
The Super Eagles prepare to submit their 28-man squad for AFCON, clarity around administrative matters has become essential the fnal squad lists must be submitted by December 11, with players scheduled to report by December 15. Nigeria will hold camp in Egypt before travelling to Morocco for their opening match against Tanzania on December 23.
The three time champions into Group C alongside Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania, Nigeria enters the tournament aiming for a fourth continental title.
A well-known football pundit in the State, Chief Christopher Okonkwo has lauded the efforts and vision of the Super Eagles Coach Eric Chelle for going from one venue of the Nigeria Domestic Nigeria Professional Football League match to the other in monitoring Nigerian players, with a view to invite some exceptional good one discovered into the main stream of the Super Eagles team.
Okonkwo, who made the commendation in an interview at the Port Harcourt Club recently, described the positive move by Coach Chelle as a good step in the right direction, noting that the practice was how its been done in the past among any contracted coach assigned to tinker the Super Eagles team.
“Truly, it has been an old tradition in the country seeing any newly engaged Coach to lead the National team, visiting some our Nigeria League venues during the league matches to spot light some good talents that could be used to beef up some grey areas in the department of Eagles team”
He, however, frowned at the current situation where our coaches had continously been over depending on the use of foreign based players during invitation of players to the National camp, thereby, relegating the domestic home based league players to the background as if they have nothing much to offer to the team.
“I can vividly recall that the likes of great players in the mode of Finidi George, Taribo West, Kanu Nwankwo, Austin Okocha, Richard Owobokiri, Emmanuel Osuigwe among others started from Nigeria football league before they graduated to play in Europe through which they later invited to Super Eagles camp to represent Nigeria”
“Besides, I’m also of the view that going to secondary school football competitive games could equally serves as a a good platform to discover budding talents that could be nurtured to become great stars in near future”, Okonkwo frankly added.
Okonkwo, therefore, prayed that any football coach to be engaged by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to tinker the Super Eagles should be told not to confine himself in staying in big hotel alone but to be visiting some of our local league match venues, with a view to discover some good players that can be drafted into the Super Eagles team.
“Indeed, I stand to be challenged that there some young good players in the Nigeria Professional League. If spotted and exposed, could give the some of the invited foreign based players a stiff competitive fight in securing a postion in the team”, Okonkwo emphatically stated.
Ezechukwu, one of the youngest members of the Nigerian contingent at the championship in Ghana, said her ambition was to win the 100m title in style and cap it with a new personal record.
The fresh secondary school graduate explained that she is fully focused on contributing to Team Nigeria’s medal hopes and is determined to deliver strong performances across her events.
“My main objective in Ghana is to clinch the 100m title and the 4×100m,” Ezechukwu told Tidesports source.
“Nigeria can be assured of my very best and my commitment to the Team. I would love to set a new personal best in Ghana, but anything that comes, I will take it. The spirit in the team is high, and I think we are ready to go,” she said.
Ezechukwu, who was part of Nigeria’s women’s 4x100m relay squad at the World Relays in Botswana, said the experience gained from that competition has strengthened her mindset heading into the continental championships.
She admitted that she learned valuable lessons from her previous outing, including a difficult moment during the relay where an early error affected the team’s rhythm, but said she has used the experience to improve her discipline and composure.
“The secret is just being disciplined, training hard and trusting my coach and believing in God, and the result will show,” she added.
The teenager is part of a 41-member Nigerian team comprising 24 female and 17 male athletes competing at the championships, which begin today at the University of Ghana, Legon.
Nigeria are expected to compete across multiple track and field events as they aim for a strong finish against the continent’s elite athletes.
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