FINIDI, SHORUNMU YET TO BE OFFERED CONTRACTS 4 MONTHS AFTER EAGLES APPOINTMENTS

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Both George Finidi and Ike Shorunmu are yet to get a contract offer from the Nigeria Football Federation, four months after being named assistant coaches to Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro.

Peseiro was appointed Eagles head coach by the NFF on May 15, while Finidi was named the first Portuguese assistant. Salisu Yusuf was appointed the second assistant as well as head coach of the CHAN and U-23 National Teams.

Shorunmu was named the goalkeepers trainer, with Usman Abdallah third assistant, while Eboboritse Uwejamomere is the match analyst.

While Peseiro, 62, was offered a performance-based one-year contract and will reportedly earn $70,000 (N30m) monthly, Finidi and Shorunmu are awaiting payment four months after their appointment.

It was gathered that the duo will not be on the bench when Nigeria take on Algeria for the 22nd time at the 40,000 Stade Olympique in Oran next Tuesday in an international friendly if they are not offered a contract and repaid their outstanding flight fares.

“The team traveled out of Nigeria for the game against Algeria last Sunday without Finidi and Shorunmu,” a top NFF official told only The PUNCH.

“They have not been offered contracts by the NFF since they were appointed in May. It has been a while that the duo has been demanding their contract papers from the NFF but they are yet to get one.

“They were called to report to camp in Abuja last week but they refused to show up because they were yet to be refunded their flight tickets to and fro by the federation since they were appointed.

“Finidi told the NFF that he can’t leave a job with a valid contract for an assignment he does not have a deal.”

Super Eagles media officer, Babafemi Raji, revealed Finidi did not join up with the Eagles due to personal ‘pressing’ issues,according to reports.

“Both coaches are not here (Constantine, Algeria) with us because of some pressing issues,” Raji claimed.

“Finidi recently buried his immediate elder sister and that’s part of the reason he is not here with us at the moment.”

The former Besiktas goalkeeper Shorunmu refused to respond when asked if he had a legitimate contract with the NFF, claiming that it was a personal matter.

“We have a game against Algeria and that is the main issue now. On my contract, the NFF is in the best position to answer that.”