With Nigeria "in the midst of a crippling recession triggered by weak oil prices, funding for its men's national football team has suffered to the point that it risks World Cup disqualification," according to CNN. Although the Super Eagles have had their bonuses suspended for six months, the Nigerian Football Federation now says that "it is so broke that it cannot afford to fly its players to Zambia for next month's third-round qualifier." The NFF is "courting a sponsor" to raise $270,000 in order to charter a plane to Ndola, Zambia, for the match on Oct. 9. An unnamed member of the NFF said, "As we speak, we don't have any kobo (a denomination of Nigeria's naira currency) in our purse," adding that the NFF was appealing to regional telecom Globacom for aid. The spokesperson said, "The charges for the airline alone is $200,000 for a 140-seater plane, and it will be on ground with the team for two days. We need between $6,000 and $10,000 for flight ticket(s) to bring in the players (from Europe)." The NFF member also noted that players will be due a further $95,0000 each in bonuses, and said that "the only way forward is to receive stronger backing from the Nigerian government." The Nigerian Statehouse "did not immediately respond" to requests for comment on the matter (CNN, 9/28).
