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In November 2018, the Nigeria Football Federation during its Executive Committee meeting held in Asaba, Delta State capital, announced the abolishment of match bonuses and camp allowances to players and officials of age-grade national teams.

This resolution means that the U-17, golden Eaglets/Flamingos; U-20 – Flying Eagles/Falconets and the U-23 (Olympic Team) male and female national teams will no longer enjoy benefits such as match bonus as well as camp allowances.

The communiqué that conveyed the decision read: “Board re-enforced an earlier resolution that youth competitions are developmental and that only qualification bonus would be paid to players and officials of age-grade National Teams.

“In addition, the Board resolved to closely monitor the age -grade National Teams (U-15, U-17 & U-20) in order to ensure that the coaches follow the Board’s mandate to have players graduating from the NFF/Zenith Bank Future Eagles Program, and in that wise resolved to closely monitor the current U-20 squad,” read the 2018 resolution.

This singular decision has turned the wheel of Nigeria’s football development back to decades of years with those affected teams performing woefully at both continental and global football competitions.

The Golden Eaglets set of 2019 have vowed to go on the streets to protest over the none payment of match bonuses and entitlements by the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF more than a year since the participated in the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Brazil.

Despite receiving annual youth development grants from FIFA, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is reportedly still owing players and officials of the Golden Eaglets to the Brazil 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

Players of the 2019 Eaglets squad lamented over the inability of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to settle their bonuses they ought to have collected before the World Cup in Brazil even as they appealed to the football house to pay up the debt lest they’ll be forced to protest openly.

“We’re not surprised that the NFF has refused to pay us our reward for our labour maybe because we have not gone to the streets to protest like the girls who had long been paid,” a source who craved anonymity told NationSports.

“The cry of the innocent shall continue to hunt NFF unless they clear our money of over 18 months running.”

When contacted, the NFF General Secretary, Mohammed Sanusi, neither confirmed nor denied if the 2019 Golden Eaglets were being owed even as he urged the media to concentrate on more important issues.

“I don’t why this should be a problem to journalists. Some of the people who do it, do it for mischief because if journalists are owed several months salaries, they’ll keep quiet and don’t say anything, why should they be interested in other people’s salaries and payment? Why can’t they fight for their own?” Sanusi stated. “I will not like to comment on that one. The best thing is to call the technical department.”

The Golden Eaglets were sent packing from FIFA U-17 World Cup in Brazil by Netherlands after a1-3 loss.

Sontje Hansen’s hat-trick condemned the West African nation to defeat in their Round of 16 fixture at Estadio Olimpico Pedro Ludovico.