When President Bola Tinubu hosted the Super Eagles in March following their AFCON 2023 final loss to Cote d’Ivoire, he repeated the usual promise by political leaders to reform Nigerian football, recognising it as a national treasure.
A conversation by Germany-based Nigerian journalist Oma Akatugba with a Nigerian footballer in Afghanistan, relayed by the journalist in a post on X,indicates the magnitude of the task that the president has set for himself in that promise.
The player said he earned about N250,000 per month in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) until he moved to Afghanistan, where he now earns €2,000 (this could not be confirmed) with free accommodation and meals. The story highlights the gulf between the two countries in compensation and underscores the dire financial state of football in Nigeria.
