Nigeria promised big pay day to win Nations Cup

Nigeria are set for a big pay day with each player guaranteed at least 88,500 dollars should they win their third Africa Cup of Nations here in Angola, officials have disclosed.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have already announced that each player will get 30,000 if they qualify the team to the knockout stage of Angola 2010 and a draw with Mozambique on Wednesday in Lubango will earn them this bonus.

Officials informed that the Super Eagles, as the Nigeria team are known by their fans, could almost triple this bonus if they go all the way and clinch the trophy on January 31 at the November 11 Stadium in Luanda.

A breakdown of this payment showed a win in the quarter-finals will earn each player another 10,000. Victory in the semi-final means each player will pocket an additional 15,000, while winning the final will make each player another 20,000 richer.

The NFF now pay each player a daily camping allowance of 500, meaning that for the three weeks they will be in Angola, a player will be paid another 10,500.

They have already pocketed 3,000-a-man as an appearance fee for the competition, bringing the total of these bonuses to 88,500.

The NFF and the Presidential Task Force for the 2010 World Cup will each contribute half of these payments.

“It is now left for the players to earn it,” said a top NFF official.

The NFF have also made it a rule for the Eagles to now travel in more comfort and so each player is now entitled to fly business class during any international engagement.

Besides huge financial rewards, players were given houses and national honours by the Nigerian government when they won the Nations Cup in 1980 and 1994.