A former Super Eagles player Jonathan Akpoborie has said that non- payment of players’ bonuses as when due has affected Nigeria football.
Akpoborie, who was reacting to the delayed payment of the allowances of the Super Falcons who clinched their eighth African title after a 1-0 win over the host Cameroon, told newsmen that the delay payment weakens the zeal of potential players, having seen the challenges faced by the present ones.
“It is actually something that affects football generally in Nigeria, it affects the morale of prospective representatives in Nigeria, having experienced how the present ones are being treated,” he said.
Although, the federal government last Friday released money to clear the backlog of outstanding payments for both the Super Falcons and the Super Eagles, the former FC Saarbrucken player, however said, though the crunch in the country’s economic contributed to the delayed payment of the Super Falcons, the country is known for not paying players when due.
“Looking at the economy in Nigeria, the economy do not actually suggest that things will go rosy, all of these things bisected, even when the economy was rosy we had problem when I was still playing for the Super Eagles.
“So if they (Super Falcons) fall to those problems now, I see no difference, I just hope that they will resolve it that the women can actually in their next tournament to do Nigeria proud again,” he said.