Suwon International Tourney fallout: Eaglets stranded in Abuja
• Get only N5, 000 from NFF for transport
BY JOE APU
IT is indeed trying times for Nigerian football as several players of the Golden Eaglets who represented Nigeria at the Suwon International Tournament for U19 were stranded in Abuja on return from South Korea
The players got the shock of their lives fol- lowing the paltry N5, 000 that each of them was paid as transport fare back to their bases.
According to africafootball.com, the players were left dumb founded as they could not believe what came to them for transport after represent- ing the country.
“Some of the players were stranded and had to send home for more money to add to the 5,000 Naira paid each of them before they could return home,” a source informed.
“At a point it even looked like nothing would be paid to the team after they returned from Korea.”
Team officials received 10,000 Naira with head coach Manu Garba paid double that amount.
The tournament organisers paid the NFF an appearance fee besides paying for their flight tickets and boarding in Korea.
The Nigeria U19s, made up by the core of the U17s who failed to qualify for next year’s U17 AFCON in Mada- gascar, posted a dismal outing at the invitation- al Suwon tourney.
They lost all three matches – 8-1 to Eng- land, 1-0 to Iran and 3-0 to hosts Korea – to finish rock bottom of the competition.