José Peseiro, the head coach of the Super Eagles, has received $210,000 (about N156,400,000), which is three of the ten months’ salary that the Nigeria Football Federation, or NFF, owes him.
The head coaches of other national teams like the Super Falcons, U-23 Eagles, Flying Eagles, Falconets, Golden Eaglets, and the Flamingos were paid between five and seven months’ salaries.
Before this latest payment, Peseiro was not paid a salary since he was engaged in May 2022 by the Amaju Pinnick-led Executive Board of the NFF. The Portuguese were contracted following an assurance by the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Chief Sunday Dare, that the Federal Government will pick the bills of a foreign coach after the Austin Eguavoen-led technical crew failed to qualify Nigeria for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
NFF President, Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau, who confirmed the payment of some outstanding salaries to national team coaches told Newmen that the payments were made from the funds from its affiliate international bodies.
Gusau debunked an online newspaper report that Peseiro’s salary was not paid all this while because the NFF insisted on the salary being paid first into the NFF’s account before the coach can be paid.
“There is no truth in that publication because the sports ministry did not at any time ask the NFF to furnish it with Peseiro’s account details. Why will we do such? The coach is aware of the true situation and it is contrary to that report, ” Gusau explained.
Oreoluwa is an accountant and a brand writer with a flair for journalism.
