Eagles ‘bonuses: Egbe hails Tinubu, Minister Tips team to beat S/Africa
Foremost sports facility expert and CEO of Monimichelle Group, Ebi Egbe, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the priority he gave to the welfare of the Super Eagles by approving funds to offset their bonuses and allowances before the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations started.
Early last month, President Tinubu approved money for the outstanding payment that the Federal Government owed the Eagles and other sporting teams of the country.
According to a statement on the X handle of Tinubu’s Media Centre, the payment entails the clearing of the senior national team coach salaries running up to 15 months, payments of allowances and promises due to the senior national teams, females, and Under-20 national team.
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Egbe who said it’s very rare for the Super Eagles to attend a major tournament without the issues of players’ entitlements rearing its ugly head, praised President Tinubu and Sports Minister, Senator John Enoh for being proactive by making funds available to boost the morale of the team, the coaches and backroom staff.
“I must confess that the Super Eagles have not enjoyed such goodwill in a long while. We all need to commend President Tinubu and Sports Minister for ensuring that the Super Eagles got all the financial support they needed to make the country proud at this AFCON”
Egbe also reiterated his confidence that the Eagles will win their fourth AFCON title ahead of today’s semi final clash against the Bafana Bafana of South Africa in the central Ivory Coast city of Bouake.
“The Super Eagles are moving slow and steady progressively. I have maintained that the Super Eagles are favourites to win this AFCON because there are elite players in the Nigerian squad. The South Africans have done well but I don’t see them stopping the Eagles from reaching the final and lifting the trophy”
He stated that the performance of the Eagles at the ongoing AFCON has justified his opinion that the players and coaches should not be blamed for the team’s inconsistent displays during the qualifiers.
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“The below par performance in our qualifiers and the slow start at the AFCON has never been the players or coach Peseiro’s fault. That’s why whenever there is an outcry to sack coach Peseiro I always came all out to support the coach because as a 21st century groundsman I see beyond football on a green grass with 11 aside players. The scientific nature of 21st-century football can never be undermined in an elite tournament like the AFCON.
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“Nigeria has an elite team, Elite players are trained to ply their trade on elite pitches that naturally supports speed football and not 100% natural grass pitches that naturally have slow ball movement.”
While revealing that his firm, Monimichelle Sports, was the only African company that tendered bid for the AFCON pitches with COCAN 23 in Cote D’lvoire, he warned that the pitches in Cote D’Ivoire may not outlive the tournament after CAF insisted on 100% natural grass for the games.
“We stood our grounds on the advantages of constructing hybrid AFCON 23 pitches that can outlive the African Nations Cup in Cote D’lvoire but CAF insisted on 100% natural grass. I’m afraid that the disadvantages of the grass pitches in Cote D’Ivoire will be exposed during the rainy season” he added