Desperate for a win against South Korea in their match of the 2010 South African FIFA World Cup, the Nigerian Football Federation has promised each of its players a cool $30,000 dollars if they manage to advance into the next round, according to the South Africa Times.
Previously the NFF had promised the team members $10,000 for every game they won at the World Cup qualifying group round, but the desperation is setting in, prompting the frantic Nigerian federation to try and encourage their team to salvage their game.
The Nigerians are facing the unthinkable spectacle of leaving the World Cup without a single point after having lost their first two games. They were upset handily by Greece in their second game, losing 2-1 to the Mediterranean nation. It wasn’t any easier for the Nigerians in their prior match as they faced South American powerhouse Argentina. They lost that game 1-0.
Now they must win against South Korea in order to advance, but it won’t be easy because South Korea will also be gunning for a win or a tie in order to advance. Not only this, but if Greece can eke out a tie against Argentina (admittedly no easy task) then no amount of spectacular play from Nigeria could get their players their $30,000 apiece, as Greece will have four points to Nigeria’s potential three.
Red Card costing Nigeria
The move comes after widespread outrage in the country after Nigeria lost 2-1 Greece after Sani Kaita was sent off with a red card for having thrown a kick at the thigh of a Greek player with an hour left to play in the game. The move put the Nigerians in a tough spot as they played for 60 minutes with only ten men on the field, and finally succumbed to Greece’s go ahead goal at the 71-minute mark.
Kaita will not be playing against South Korea as a result, but the response to his actions has shown just how desperate Nigeria is for a win. Their having offered $30,000 per player to advance may seem drastic, but reports of thousands of death threats coming streaming in to Kaita for having hurt his team’s chances so badly indicate just how serious the matter is for West African nation. Kaita had apologized for his kick, which didn’t even land but was embellished enough to fool the referee.
“I cannot stop apologising to all Nigerians for making this costly mistake. I am very sorry and I pray that we win our next game (against South Korea) to qualify for the next round, where I hope to redeem my image with a good performance if I'm picked," said Kaita, who after the red card put his shirt over his head in shame.
$12,500 for any knockout stage win
As the Nigerians move forward in search of escaping Group B, they’ll also be able to look forward to further payoffs in the quarterfinals should they win there, where for every win, every single player on the team will be paid $12,500. For war-torn Nigeria, these are significant sums, although the dream of advancing deep into the World Cup is arguably enough for any player without the money.
No.21 ranked Nigeria was considered by many to be Africa’s best chance of making it deep into the World Cup, which would be a thrill to the many African fans surrounding the South Africa. They’d almost certainly have kind of home continent advantage, although reportedly the reputation of Nigerians is somewhat low in South Africa. However a win in South Africa would undoubtedly help them improve their reputations - or, at the very least, help out their pocketbooks somewhat.
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