Siasia demands payment of Olympic team’s backlog of salary, allowances

Nigeria’s Olympic team coach, Samson Siasia has appealed to the Federal Government to pay the backlog of salary and allowances owed the players and coaches before the team's first game at the Rio Olympics against Japan on August 4.
The Dream Team VI coach, who was recently in the eye of the storm, following a disclaimer by the Minister of Youth and Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung, that the government was unaware of the Olympic team’s USA camping ahead of the 2016 summer games, disclosed that the players and coaches are being owed five months salary and allowances.
Siasia, who insisted that he wasn’t giving the Federal Government an ultimatum or threatening to boycott the tournament, expressed his disappointment with the treatment meted to the Nigeria U-23 team.

The team which has been in camp in Atlanta, USA, is reportedly faced with financial difficulties as the players and officials are said to be surviving on the support of friends of coach Siasia.
The embarrassing experience which made the headlines angered the minister who declared that ‘nobody informed the Sports Ministry of their camping in Atlanta.’
Siasia swiftly reacted to the minister’s comment, saying the team was on private sponsorship and would continue with the camping programme.
As the team is expected to depart for Rio from Atlanta, USA on 29th July, 2016, coach Siasia is skeptical the Nigeria Football Federation ( NFF) or the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) will attend to their plight after the Rio Olympic.
He appealed to the ministry of sports to give approval for the payment of the money owed his team.