By Akinwale Kasali
The failure of players playing in the Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL, to receive their salaries for months, has been brought to the attention of the World Soccer Governing Body, Federation International of Football Association, FIFA. The body is being asked to wade Into the situation.
The Nigeria Players Union which comprises of active and retired football players is to formally intervene by sending a letter to FIFA, over non-payment of players’ salaries by the Nigeria Football Federation and Nigeria Professional Football league. The situation of clubs worsened as clubs suffered financially during the Coronavirus enforced lockdown.
Chairman of the Association, Tijani Babangida, a former Super Eagles star disclosed this on Monday June 29, in an interview with Sport Radio Station, Brila FM.
According to Babangida, who was part of Nigeria’s 1996 Olympic Games gold medal winning squad, the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the 2000 Africa Nations Cup, most players in the Nigeria wdomestic league have been at loggerheads with their clubs over their salaries, but he has assured he will ensure FIFA and the worldwide – players Union, Fifpro intervened in the matter.
“About the intervention of the Players Union, it is between 2015 till date. They (FIFA) asked the union to compile names and clubs so that they can be able to send for them and be able to see it,” Babangida told Brila FM.
“Well, I was surprised when they (Fifpro) called me to tell us FIFA already are asking us to write them. We had already communicated with the captains of the clubs because we have a platform.
“We have already all the club captains to come forward and bring all the names and (owing) clubs and I I think we already have from Taraba United who said they have been owed since 2015 and we will send all these names we are going to gather to FIFA and Fifpro,” Babangida stated.
