Shanghai Greenland Shenhua of China striker, Odion Jude Ighalo is set to become the player that will cost most for the country to get from his base into the Nigerian national team, as the ticket that will take him into the Super Eagles’ camp this weekend will cost more than N4m.
Megasportsarena.com can report that this is the startling revelation of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president, Melvin Amaju Pinnick, who gave a breakdown of expenses the soccer body has to go through in getting players to honour national team matches.
While also revealing that it would cast about N3.5m to purchase a flight ticket for John Mikel Obi’s trip from Middlesbrough of England to Asaba, to join the Eagles on Sunday at their pre-Africa Cup of Nations camp, Pinnick stressed that the NFF would spend approximately N70m in total.
The soccer governing body’s supremo said the figures represent only what would be spent by the NFF as traveling expenses for the foreign-based players that have been called up to the Eagles’ camp.
He went on to infer that the government subvention due to the NFF is grossly inadequate, as the body has to cater for other needs the Eagles will incur during their stay in camp, while also looking at the needs of other levels of the country’s national teams.
Pinnick told Channels Television: ”When the Super Eagles are playing a game the minimum it costs is N200m to 250m.
“Mikel Obi’s ticket alone is N3.5m, it is normal. Ighalo’s own is above N4m. If you put all these together, you are talking about N60 to 70m alone for their coming.
“Then you talk about daily allowances, about bonuses, accommodation, match organization, referees indemnity.
“We are dealing with 13 national teams. We have a budget of about N1bn every year, but what is backed by cash is 65 percent which comes to about N650m.”
