Nigeria's supersand Eagles won the 2013 Copa Lagos Beach soccer championship after defeating its arch- rival, Senegal, 4-2 in the final on Sunday.
The team captain, Isiaka Olawale, who expressed the team's dissatisfaction over the NFA's non- challant attitude to the team despite defeating Senegal to win the tournament, said it was unfortunate that they were being ill- treated by the NFA over unpaid allowances to the team having made the nation proud at the tournament, adding that team comprises of ten football players and five officials unlike the Eagles that have large number of players for a particular tournament.
Supersand Eagles threatened to boycott their last game against Senegal at the ongoing 2013 Copa Lagos Beach soccer tournament over unpaid fees.
The players held an open protest shortly after the side beat Lebanon 10-9 in their second encounter at this year's competition on Saturday.
They accused the Nigeria Football Association of unfair treatment claiming that they would not honour their last game against African champions, Senegal on Sunday unless something is done immediately.
Olawale, who explained that it had been a traditional attitude of the NFA to abandon the team while preparing for major continental tournaments, said the spirit of Never Say Die has been the major force behind the team's success as their commitment and dedication paved the way for them to win the competition.
While explaining that non of the members of the NFA stood with them except the chairman of Nigerian Beach Soccer, Alhaji Kwandeh, who gave them one hundred thousand naira after their second match, adding that the NFA subjet them to a week training programme prior to Copa Lagos Beach Soccer, a move he condemned saying it was not good enough for them to win a competition.
Bittered Lawal, said the NFA would not have metted similar attitude to the Nigeria's Super Eagles if they win such a competition, stressing that the allowance expected to pay was a piece meal when compared to the largesse often offered o the Eagles.
According to him, Nigeria's Sand Eagles recorded a good feat at the 2011 Beach Soccer World Cup because they had enough time to training, adding that the move paid the way for the newly invited players to acquint themselves with the technique of playing Beach football.
Isiaka, said they are still at the Southern Sun Hotel, Ikoyi, waiting for the NFA to pay their unpaid allowances since they were being told by the NFA to wait for the with the assurance that that they will be paid, adding that the attitude is capable of keeping talented beach soccer players away from camp.
On the NFA Beach soccer league, Lawal, commended the NFA for deeming it necessary to stage the tournament as he believed that the gesture would help build a future for the sport which is fasting developing in Africa, adding that that advent of the Nigerian Beach Soccer League would give room for new players to take over from the old players who have been in the team for a couple of months.
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