NSC offers Super Eagles extra bonus of $55,000 for every goal scored against DR Congo tonight

NIGERIAN football officials have upped their game big time and offered the Super Eagles a bumper incentive package for tonight's World Cup play-off against the Democratic Republic of Congo promising them $55,000 for every goal scored.

At 7pm GMT tonight, Nigeria will face DR Congo in the final of the Confederation of African Football (Caf) World Cup play-offs. Both teams came through tough semi finals against Gabon and Cameroon respectively and the winner of today's final will go on to play in an inter-continental play-off taking place in Mexico in March, from which two teams will qualify for the World Cup.

Before last Thursday's semi final, the Nigerian players had boycotted one day of training, protesting the fact that they were not paid their bonuses. It took the intervention of the National Sports Commission (NSC) director-general Bukola Olopade to personally intervene and get the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) to pay the players, so they could resume training.

It now appears that the NFF has learnt its lesson from that experience and going into tonight's game, the federation is offering the team $50,000 for every goal scored against the Democratic Republic of Congo. On Thursday, the Eagles earned $120,000 for the 4-1 victory over the Black Panthers of Gabon, in a gesture initiated by the NSC and funded by the team's corporate sponsors.

Super Eagles head coach, Éric Chelle said his players are all fired up for tonight's clash taking place at the Prince Héritier Moulay El Hassan Sports Complex in Rabat. He added that the play-offs are another opportunity for his team to earn a berth at the World Cup having missed out on automatic qualification.

Mr Chelle said: “We would have preferred to have taken the automatic ticket but it didn’t work out. Now, we are here and we have a second chance and we do not intend to bungle it.”

He is confident that his team will qualify for the final hurdle of the inter-continental which will take place in the Mexican cities of Guadalajara and Monterrey next year. In a further boost for Nigeria, the Confederation of African Football has confirmed that Wilfred Ndidi is eligible to feature for the Super Eagles tonight despite picking up a yellow card against Gabon.

An NFF  spokesman said: “Caf has confirmed that Wilfred Ndidi is eligible to feature for the Super Eagles in Sunday’s playoff clash against DR Congo. Cautions accumulated during the World Cup qualifiers do not carry over into the playoffs, as only confirmed suspensions apply.”

Ndidi was cautioned in the sixth minute of Super Eagles’ 4-1 victory over the Panthers of Gabon on Thursday. It was the midfielder’s second booking in the qualifiers and it had been feared that he would miss tonight's clash.