World Cup: FIFA’s decision to pay players directly will motivate youngsters — Akanni

Wahidi Akanni, an ex-international, said the decision of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association to pay players allowances directly will motivate upcoming talents.

The former Chairman of the Lagos State Football Association said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria.

NAN reports that FIFA announced that the 2023 Womne’s World Cup prize money will be paid directly to the players without interference from a third party.

Fifa will pay out $152 million (£122m) in total, three times more than the $50 million (£40.2m) paid in 2019: $110 million (£88.4m) is being put towards the performance-based fund, while $11.5 million (£9.3m) is being spent on the club benefits programme, and a further $30.7 million (£24.5m) is being paid as preparation money.

Fatma Samoura, FIFA Secretary-General, said the policy change was due to unpaid allowance issues involving the Super Falcons of Nigeria.

“This will encourage players to focus on horning their competitive skills, the game will get more competitive because everyone wants to represent their country, so we will get the best of the best hands,” Akanni said in the interview with the NAN on Wednesday.

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He said FIFA’s decision was not an indictment on football administrators per say.

He said: “This does not necessarily mean that football administrators are guilty of anything.

“I have been there and as an administrator so I understand.

“As long as football is being run by government, we will continue to have backlog of unpaid allowances and salaries, some players that played years ago are still being owed one allowance or the other.

“Once government changes, nobody remember to pay.

“This is not peculiar to Nigeria, even South Africa.

“I hope this new decision by FIFA will take African administrators back to their drawing boards.”

NAN reports that during the build up to the World Cup, Falcon’s Head Coach Randy Waldrum had revealed that some players are owed “per diem and bonuses” from two years ago.