When international footballers wear the colors of their nations to represent them at continental or global tournaments, they are usually driven by pride and honor — but players’ desire to succeed runs a lot deeper in Africa.
Football tournaments, such as the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), provide opportunities for players to reap the rewards of the hard work they put in to reach the top of their game.
Financial rewards in the form of bonuses paid to football players are considered compensation for past struggles and private investments made into players’ futures, some analysts have told DW.
However, the payment of bonuses has become a thorny issue in Africa.
Where Africa’s best players come from
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“Bonuses to footballers on the African continent are a big deal because most of the African countries… do not develop the footballers and do not give them opportunities to [reach their potential],” Philip Otuo, an African sports analyst, told DW.
“The footballers have to go through difficult times to get to the top, so when they get to the top and they are representing the country at a competition, they think that the country must pay them before they partake.”
Bonuses are often paid to players for qualifying and competing at tournaments, but not without reports of rows over the player payments in some participating countries.
The Africa Cup of Nations, the continent’s most prestigious football event, is no exception.
Qualification bonus disputes
Equatorial Guinea players this week reportedly had a row with the country’s government officials over bonuses, demanding increased compensation for qualifying for AFCON.
The players sought a qualification bonus of €16,000 ($17,574) per player, plus an additional €6,000 per match — irrespective of the outcome. They had initially requested €3,000 per match before making the latest demand.
Gambian football players had threatened to boycott AFCON because of unpaid bonuses. They even boycotted their final training session before leaving for Ivory Coast, the AFCON host nation.
“If something is promised to you, I think you are entitled to receive it not to bring confusion,” Omar Colley, the captain of the Gambian national team, told DW.
“So, I’d like to clear everything out, the thing is that we had an agreement with the GFF that this qualifying bonus will be paid.”
Africa’s best soccer players
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Presidential intervention
But the President of Gambia Football Federation, Lamin Kabba Bajo, told DW that the team made series of demands and after an agreement was reached, they made a U-turn.
“Within that demand is a qualification bonus of €15,000 per player when we qualify to AFCON 2023 and that’s the least they could have, because the request was far ahead, it was about €25,000,” Bajo said.
“They had their consultations, came back and forth. And then all of a sudden, I was called into a meeting and the ultimatum was, they we are not going to train, and we are not going to Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire, if this amount is not paid.”
It took the intervention of Gambian President Adama Barrow to resolve the impasse between the players and the federation.
“I told him [President Barrow] to give us diplomatic passports, not to take money from his own pocket because we are going to represent the country and this is an important tournament for everyone,” Colley revealed about the conversation between the president and the players.
Gambia are scheduled to play their first match on Monday against neighbouring Senegal, the reigning AFCON champions.
Africa Cup of Nations 2023: Who are the favorites?
There are several contenders for the trophy at the 34th AFCON. Defending champions Senegal, record winners Egypt and hosts Ivory Coast are among them. On the playing side, there are Bundesliga stars with high hopes.
Image: Sulaiman Pooja/IMAGO
In 2022, Senegal were crowned African champions for the first time in history after the West African country became the 15th nation to win the Africa Cup of Nations. Coached by Aliou Cisse, who played a key role in a memorable World Cup in 2002, Sadio Mane remains a key weapon up front for a side hoping to retain their title.
Image: Charly Triballeau/Getty Images/AFPIvory Coast — The hosts
The Ivorians are hosting the tournament for the second time and will expect to emerge safely from a group that also includes Nigeria. Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau are the other two sides in Group A. The hosts will look to Borussia Dortmund striker, Sebastien Haller (right), for goals but are not considered as strong as they have been in previous editions.
Image: Sebastian Frej/IMAGOMorocco — The World Cup surprise package
Their run to the semifinals in Qatar caught the imagination in Morocco and across the world as they became the first African side to reach the final four. With international superstars such as Hakim Ziyech from Galatasaray and Achraf Hakimi from Paris St. Germain under head coach Walid Regragui, the Atlas Lions are clearly among the title favorites.
Image: Yukihito Taguchi/USA TODAY/IMAGOAlgeria — Back to their best?
In 2019, Algeria won their second AFCON after a 29-year drought. Their success, however, was fleeting. In 2022, they managed but a single point and fell at the group stage. They didn’t even qualify for the World Cup in Qatar. Now the Desert Foxes, including captain Riyad Mahrez (second from left) and Dortmund star Ramy Bensebaini (second from right) hope to make positive headlines once again.
Image: Charly Triballeau/AFP/Getty ImagesNigeria — Big name with outsider status
If the title automatically went to the team that produced Africa’s footballer of the year, the winner of AFCON 2023 would be Nigeria. But since that is not the case, striker Victor Osimhen of Napoli and his Super Eagles will have a lot to prove on the pitch. Nigeria and their superstar are considered outsiders in their hunt for their country’s fourth title.
Image: Nour Aknajja/Sports Inc/empics/picture allianceEgypt — The perennial winners
Nobody has won more titles at AFCON than Egypt: The team from North Africa has triumphed at the tournament seven times. But the last victory was a long time ago, back in 2010 when the team won their third title in a row in Angola. In 2022, the Egyptians made it to the final, where they lost on penalties to Senegal. Once again, they will rely on the prolific Mo Salah (left).
Image: Sulaiman Pooja/IMAGO Can the demand for bonuses be justified?
Otuo said such spectacles and drama over bonuses would linger on for years until countries in Africa invest well to develop and support footballers.
“The footballers have to pay their way through agents and go through difficult times before they even get to the top… that is why on the African continent, most of the countries [deal with] footballers demanding money before they play,” he said.
Otuo also said sometimes the rows are justified because often football authorities and governments fail to honor promises made to players in previous tournaments.
“There have been precedents where they have been told, ‘Don’t worry, after the tournament, you would be [cared] for’ and it doesn’t come after the tournament,” Otuo said. “So they always demand the money before they get onto the field to play.”
Nigeria this time around didn’t want player bonuses to overshadow the team’s participation so the country’s president, Bola Tinubu, released funds for payment of all outstanding bonuses due the players, coaches and other staff.
Public disclosure over bonuses
Nigeria has made public what their players would be due as bonuses.
Each member of the Super Eagles will receive $35,000 as bonuses should the Nigerian team win the title.
They will also pocket a bonus of $5,000 for every match won at AFCON. The bonus would be halved for every draw.
The Mozambique Football Federation (FMF) has also set out details of the bonuses the players are due as qualification bonus for the African Cup of Nations.
Each player will receive $2,000 — plus an extra $6,000 if they progress to the knockout stage of AFCON.
Zambia offered the players $5,000 as bonuses for qualifying for AFCON 2023.
Ghana drew global attention at the FIFA 2014 World Cup when players in its national football team, the Black Stars, refused to train ahead of a group match against Portugal due to a row over appearance fees.
The West African nation hasn’t made public details about how much each player will receive at AFCON to avoid a possible public backlash.
Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) hosts Ivory Coast are expected to progress from Group A without too many problemsImage: SIA KAMBOU/AFP/Getty Images More prize funds in AFCON’s coffers
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced a 40% increase in the prize money for the winners of the 2023 AFCON.
The winners are due to receive $7 million, with the runners-up getting $4 million. Each of the two semifinalists are to receive $2.5 million and the four quarterfinalists take $1.3 million each.
“I am convinced that part of the prize money will contribute to the development of soccer and will also benefit all soccer stakeholders, while helping our member associations with their administrative tasks,” Patrice Motsepe, president of CAF said.
South Africa has said it doesn’t want this latest announcement by CAF to become a point of distractions.
The South African Football Association president Danny Jordaan told reporters that Bafana Bafana, the national team, will receive the full prize money of $7 million if they win AFCON — but will get nothing if they fall short.
“We have to get the team to focus. We have to clear everything — and if they win, they get $7 million, and if they lose, they get nothing. We want the team to focus and to perform,” Jordaan said, according to the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).
Otuo said footballers also have bills to pay, and until countries in Africa invest in their players, rows over bonuses will continue tournament after tournament.
“I think CAF must come and help address all these issues so that monies would be channeled to the right places for the development of the footballers so that they don’t boycott competitions in the future,” he said.
Sankulleh Janko in Gambia and Glogy Mushinge in Zambia contributed to this article.
Edited by: Keith Walker
Source link : https://amp.dw.com/en/afcon-2023-why-are-player-bonuses-so-contentious/a-67964888
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Publish date : 2024-01-12 08:00:00
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