Nigeria pay row threatens Brazil date

Nigeria’s players have threatened to boycott the Confederations Cup in Brazil after their bonus pay was halved.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) opted to cut bonuses for their recent World Cup qualifier against Namibia.

The players were each offered half of the normal $5,000 (3,800 euros) bonus after the 1-1 draw on Wednesday, which has led to murmurings of a revolt within the camp. The federation had previously promised $10,000 per player for victories, and half that for draws.

The squad is also unhappy with the treatment of former player and assistant coach Silvanus Okpala and other members of the backroom team.

The cash-stricken NFF continue to cut back on costs following an expensive Africa Cup of Nations campaign which has meant staff numbers have been reduced from 17 to nine.

The team were due to travel to South Africa for a connecting flight to Brazil on Thursday, but while they have not boarded the plane, they are fully expected to travel to the event on Sunday and complete their tournament obligations.

Nigeria are set to play Tahiti in their opening Cup game on Monday.