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Posted - Nov 25 2002 : 01:23:23 AM
JFF, Nigeria FA refute match fee claims
FOOTBALL
By Ian Burnett Observer staff reporter
Monday, November 25, 2002
Horace Burrell
The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) and the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) have strongly refuted media reports that the Jamaicans received US$200,000 as match fee for their friendly international against Nigeria last Wednesday in Lagos.
'As a matter of correction and to make sure there is no challenge to the image of those running the JFF, I need to put it into perspective to say that the match fee we are paying the JFF is exactly US$70,000,' match organiser, London-based Nigerian, Rotimi Ogunjobi, announced at a press briefing minutes before last Wednesday's game at the National Stadium.
Rotimi Ogunjobi is the brother of the NFA's secretary-general, Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi, who was the point man between the JFF and the NFA.
Last week the local media carried reports originating out of Nigeria the previous week that the JFF was set to earn US$200,000 (approximately J$10 million) as match fee for the game.
Said Rotimi: 'I would say as a party to organising the event to bring in the team from London, and back to London, to accommodating the team, the match fee is US$70,000 .
'Yes, we are taking care of accommodation, air fares from London back, hotel intransit to here and back to Jamaica, yes we are taking care of those and maybe by the time we settle down this will amount to US$200,000 as reported here . but I am saying this to correct things .'
The point man further revealed that Nigerian journalists went to the press without confirming what is the make-up of those figures and 'that's what I suppose happened, and I want to also add that we have corrected that situation by writing a letter to JFF, even before now, before this report came out, because as soon as the report came out in Nigeria, we saw that and we quickly faxed a letter to correct the situation that just in case you read this anywhere please dismiss it'.
'The JFF president and secretary-general can attest to the fact that this letter was sent. The fax was sent before the team left Jamaica,' he said.
JFF president, captain Horace Burrell, who had invited Jamaican high commissioner to Nigeria, Carl Marshall, and his wife to the press conference, said he was satisfied that the NFA made the clarification.
However, he stated categorically that this episode would in no way force him to reconsider his policy of not revealing future match fees.
'No, it is not necessary,' he said, adding: 'We are a credible organisation and that is why we have our financial affairs made public each year.
'I am very happy that the Nigerian Football Association has been able to clarify the situation right here in Nigeria. Prior to our departure from Jamaica to Nigeria we received a letter from the Nigerian FA to the effect that an erroneous report had been put in their newspaper,' he reiterated.
'We have received US$70,000 and out of that amount we had to pay for our air fares between Jamaica and London return, albeit it was subsidised, but yes we had to pay for that .
The JFF boss also disclosed that each player would receive US$1,000 (overseas-based) and US$500 (local based) in match fees.
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