Success pays for Rohr’s Nigeria; Tunisia end Madagascar fairy tale

Abuja: Nigeria’s footballers stand to earn a minimum $75,000 windfall if they find the net against Algeria in Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations semi-final in Cairo.

The continent’s richest man Aliko Dangote has promised to pay the Super Eagles $50,000 for each goal they score against the Algerians.

According to Amaju Pinnick, President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Nigerian oil mogul Femi Otedola has also promised to reward the team with $25,000 for every goal beginning from the encounter with Algeria.

Several other wealthy Nigerians have showered the Eagles with huge cash donations after they reached the last four of the tournament.

Officials said that each player has so far received at least $72,000 in bonuses and donations.

The team received cash gifts and plots of land from the Nigerian government when they won the competition for the third time in South Africa in 2013.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has urged the Eagles to remain focused in order to win the tournament for a fourth time.

In a late Thursday match, Tunisia ended Madagascar’s fairytale Africa Cup of Nations run in the quarter-finals with a 3-0 win over the tournament debutants in Cairo.

Ferjani Sassi’s heavily deflected strike gave Tunisia the lead early in the second half at Al Salam Stadium and Youssef Msakni squeezed home a second on 60 minutes.

Naim Sliti added a third in injury time to send Tunisia through to a semi-final showdown with Sadio Mane’s Senegal, with the Carthage Eagles into the last four for the first time since clinching their only title when they hosted the 2004 edition.

“We’re the first to beat Madagascar. We had to do it to qualify and that proves the quality of this team,” said Tunisia coach Alain Giresse.

Madagascar coach Nicolas Dupuis, whose contract was set to expire at the end of the competition, admitted Tunisia were simply too strong.

Agence France-Presse