Nigeria’s 2018 world Cup preparation is expected gulp as much as N3 billion, hinged mainly on private sponsorship and support funds from the International Federation of World Football, (FIFA) which is expected to contribute as much as N900m to Super Eagles World Cup preparations. Aside from FIFA’s N900 million, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is also eyeing as much as N600m from partnership sponsored while Federal government is expected to contribute as N2 billion to ensure Super Eagles success at the Mundial.
Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Solomon Dalung, while speaking on Nigeria’s world cup preparations at the Presidential Villa, Tuesday, said players motivations is top on the agenda of programs lined up to ensure the country’s success at the Mundial The recent FIFA groupings, put Nigeria as underdogs within Group D with Argentina, Iceland, Croatia and Nigeria in the same group. Dalung who harps on the early release of funds said the government will commence payments of allowances of the Super Eagles players by March 2018 as part of plans to ensure strong motivation for the players. “we intend to start paying the players their allowances, including camping allowances upfront, Ian March 2018”.
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“Now, that will go a long way to boost the morale of the players and confidence too. The new method of governance in football has taken the pattern of change. We will also ensure that there is unity within the football family”
Speaking on the rankings, Dalung described the ranking of the team as “more or less a paper job” “What is very important is how you will perform and I believe that we are comfortable with the team because having tested Argentina which is highly ranked team in the group, we can say confidently that with good work, good training, good welfare for the players and team spirit, we will top that group going by the disposition of our national team”
He declared that just as Argentina did not present their best, Nigeria also have some players that were not invited during the recent friendly with Argentina. ” We also intend to invite them. It is an issue that is going to be determined practically by the level of preparation of the Nigerian team. Don’t forget that the Nigerian team had enjoyed a formidable home support and they are inspired to deliver”. He also assured that the Super Eagles will engage in more friendlies to try and determine its strength and areas of improvement before the final competition.
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“When you have a problem, for you to successfully address your problem, you have to review the history of your problem. One of the challenges we have been having in sports administration especially competition is the welfare of the players and the officiating team and we intend to set a new approach to the question of welfare”. “The unity too is a key factor going by some of the reports we had in the past where poor performances were attributable to lack of unity between the family, the technical team, the officials and the players. This unity has to be promoted”
He assured that the government will make funds available on time. adding that “that has been why the budget for the competition has since been sent to the President for a special intervention so that government can make provision for some of the funds we need for training now before other things can come up”
“This time, we also intend to mobilize a very strong federal government delegation that will support the team because sports is also about the number. The number of people you have on the ground can also give support to the players and intimidate. So, we intend to go with at least a good size of the federal government delegation to give the team support”
Tony Ailemen, Abuja
