COACH of Nigeria Olympic team, Samson Siasia has raised the alarm from the team’s training camp in Atlanta, USA, that he has not been paid for the past five months and his team are yet to receive any allowances leading up to the Rio Olympics.
“We are suffering in Atlanta. We have not received any money since we arrived at this training camp. I have not been paid for the past five months,” lamented Siasia.
“We will not hold the country to ransom by threatening not to play our matches, but the government has to come to our rescue.
“I know that by the time the Olympics will be over, our monies will not be paid.”
Siasia’s Dream Team has been overseas for the past one month and will depart for Brazil from Miami tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Dream Team’s final warm-up game against fellow Rio-bound Honduras has been cancelled.
Officials would not give any reasons for the cancellation but it may not be unconnected with the poor arrangement that has attended the team’s preparation for the Rio Olympics.
A Nigerian based in the United States of America agreed to foot the bills of the Dream Team for their first 10 days in Atlanta, before the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) came through for the team after the sports minister publicly announced he was unaware of the team’s whereabouts.
Coach Samson Siasia’s team lost 1-0 to Olympic defending champions, Mexico in their first test game overseas, before they defeated local side Charlton Battery FC 2-0 in another friendly.
The reigning African U-23 champions will face Asian champions, Japan, European champions Sweden and Colombia in the first round of Rio 2016.