The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Wednesday appealed to well-meaning Nigerians and corporate organisations to come to its aid as the country prepares to play the Desert Warriors of Algeria in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Uyo on Nov. 12.
Mohammed Sanusi, General Secretary of NFF who made the appeal in Abuja in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) noted that arrangements have been made for adequate security but noted that funds would go a long way to mobilise the security men.
“Logistics have been put in place,” he said.
“I don’t want to begin to itemise the challenges of the football house but I will not fail to remind Nigerians the popular saying that good soup depends on financial input.
“In that light, we are appealing to both individuals and corporate organisations to come to the aid of the football federation in the areas of funding and sponsorship.
“It is very important and if we have sufficient fund, it will ensure that all logistics arrangements are taken care of; we need money to perfect what we are putting in place for the match,” Sanusi said.
The NFF scribe pleaded with the players and officials of Super Falcons to understand the difficulties the federation was passing through financially, saying that their outstanding allowances and bonuses would be settled soon.
He said that the NFF would ensure the Falcons had a smooth stay in Cameroon for this month’s African Women Cup of Nation.
According to Sanusi, “we have not hidden the fact we owe them.
“We have said it several times that we owe them, and we have spoken to them to understand our situation.
“What we gave them when they returned from Senegal after their last qualifying match was not their allowance but transport fare to enable them to return to their clubs.
“Their money will get to them; they should also understand what we are passing through in the country right now, but I believe that things will change.
“We have pleaded with them to be patient with us; we are not happy with the situation. I am a Muslim, and Islam it says, when a person works for you, pay him before his sweat dries. That means, you should pay him as quickly as possible.
“So, there is no way I will sit in this place, have money and I will not pay. What is happening is not just applicable to the players alone, we are all in the same situation because no management staff of the NFF has been paid in the last seven months,” Sanusi said.
