Youth national team, Flying Eagles captain, Ikouwem Udoh Utin has showered accolades on Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for ensuring all moneys due to him and other players in the squad were paid up without delay.
The Enyimba of Aba defender stated in the aftermath of the team’s stunning 5-0 trouncing of Mauritania on Saturday at Agege Stadium, Lagos, that all the players were motivated to give their best by the money they got before the game.
The former home-based Eagles left-back said he and the other players were happy to be paid their bonus for thrashing Mauritania to qualify for next year’s U20 AFCON as well as other allowances.
The Eagles outscored Mauritania 6-1 on aggregate to qualify, for which the players got over N400,000 each, covering their bonuses, camp allowances and transport refunds.
Ikouwem further said all the players, who have now been decamped and will regroup in November to fully prepare for the U20 AFCON in Niger Republic next year, were fired up to smash Mauritania.
“My appreciation first is to the NFF president Chris Giwa, his board members, the management of the Nigeria Football federation especially the acting general secretary Emmanuel Ikpeme and our coaching crew who made our victory possible.
“l can tell you that when the first vice president spoke to us on Saturday before our game and his promise of restoring match bonuses which we all got after the game, spurred us to victory,” Ikouwem enthused.
