Nigeria loses up to $10 million for Qatar 2022 World Cup miss

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Nigeria has lost over $10 million from FIFA owing to its failure to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Reports say FIFA had paid Nigeria at least $9.5 million after the 2018 World Cup to help the qualified teams prepare well for the tournament.

Though the FIFA Council has not issued any statement on the total contributions for the participants of the 2022 World Cup, sources expect the global football body to pay up to €12.2 million to participating nations after the 2020 World Cup tournament to help the qualified teams prepare well for the tournament.

The highlights of contributions in Russia 2018 stated that as approved by the FIFA Council at its meeting in Kolkata on 27 October 2017, the total contributions for the participants of the 2018 FIFA World Cup amounted to $791 million, up 40% compared to the previous edition in 2014. Based on this, the amount set for 2022 is expected to be increased.

The biggest share, $400 million, was paid as prize money to the 32 participating teams. The winners received $38 million, while the runners-up got $28 million and the third-place team $24 million.

The minimum prize money for teams eliminated at the group stage amount to $8 million each. All prize money was paid after the tournament.

In addition, each qualified team received $1.5 million to cover preparation costs, which was paid ahead of the competition. This means all teams got at least $9.5 million each for their participation in the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Recall that the poor performance of the Super Eagles at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja on Tuesday gave Ghana’s Black Stars qualification for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar based on the away goal rule, after both sides played out a 1-1 draw in the second leg of their final play-off faceoff.

The Black Stars held the Eagles 0-0 in Kumasi on Friday, but they booked the ticket to Qatar after Thomas Partey’s opener was cancelled out by a William Troost-Ekong penalty, but the Nigeria captain’s effort did not eventually count, as the visitors danced their way to the Middle East.

Nigeria has kept a clean sheet in each of their last three meetings in World Cup qualifiers against Ghana – winning one and drawing two, although they have failed to score in three of the previous four such meetings themselves.

Ghana remains unbeaten in their last five games against Nigeria in all competitions – winning three and drawing two.

Ghana and Nigeria shared exactly the same records in the second round of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup, both winning four, drawing one and losing one of their six matches.

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