No Fifa Confederations Cup Grants For Nigeria

[Folami David]

FIFA's decision in not providing grants to enable Nigeria adequately prepare for the Confederations MCup in Brazil has provoked anger at the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), THISDAY learnt at the weekend.

Nigeria is one of the eight countries that will participate at the Confederations Cup in Brazil from June 15-30.
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A source at NFF lamented that the non payment of a pre tournament grant was undermining Nigeria's preparation for the tournament.
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The Confederations Cup is an exception as it is customary of FIFA to offer financial grants in advance to countries participating in all its organised competitions.
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For instance, $1m (about N155m) was remitted to Nigeria as grants to prepare the Super Eagles for the last FIFA World Cup finals in South Africa in 2010.
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At the Confederations Cup, FIFA will only reimburse the eight nations relative to their classification at the tournament, rather than provide outright grants.
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We also gathered the Nigerian federation is bothered that the windfall will only be paid after the tournament and after some unspecified percentage is deducted as tax.
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The least the Super Eagles are guaranteed to earn is $1.7m (about N264m) even if they fail to advance to the semi final from a tough Group B, made up of world champions, Spain, Uruguay and Tahiti.
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They will earn $3.6m (N558m) if they berth in the final and could be $4.1m (N640m) richer in the event they win the trophy. All the figures bandied above are amounts due before tax.
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The pecuniary challenges of NFF since the start of the year is a public knowledge. It was this reason that prompted the controversial trimming of technical back up staff and decision to consider withdrawing Nigeria from the African Championship for home based players.

[emezico]

NFF is at it again! Is Nigeria not able to finance its national team to a major competition?