Players Pay Bribe to Play for National Teams — Amokachi Reveals

Former Super Eagles captain, Daniel Amokachi has said the practice of local coaches being bribed to invite players onto the country’s national teams is endemic.

Despite no one being found guilty of the accusation, there have long been suspicions it happens in Nigeria.

“Agents always come to give money for their players to be invited to camp,” said Amokachi. “Does it have to be so?”

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has asked Amokachi to produce evidence to support his claims.

The 43-year-old, who won the Africa Cup of Nations as a player in 1994, says it is time people spoke up about an issue that he says has long bedevilled the Nigerian game.

“We know this thing has been going on for a while but we have to voice it,” the current manager of Finnish second tier side JS Hercules told BBC Sport.

Previously, Amokachi worked as an assistant to former Super Eagles coaches Stephen Keshi (2011-15), Shaibu Amodu (2008-10) and Austin Eguavoen (2005-2007).

He says that all three used to complain about the practice.

“Every time Amodu would tell me: ‘Can you listen to these useless agents that are calling me? They want to give me US$10,000, $20,000 and $30,000 to bring their players in.’'

“But he’s a man of integrity and wouldn’t take it. I worked with Keshi and it was the same scenario. With Eguavoen, it was the same.

“If these three names mentioned had not had integrity, definitely they would have fallen victim.” he added.