Vogts with his feet over pay dispute

LAGOS – Former Germany and Scotland coach Berti Vogts cancelled his arrival in Nigeria on Wednesday until the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) pays him three months of his salary upfront, which was a condition in his contract.

“Vogts does not want to take chances knowing Nigeria’s history with the payment of salaries of their past foreign coaches and as such he has insisted that he receives his salary for three months before he comes here,” a top official disclosed. “This was agreed by the coach and other officials in London but the money has yet to be paid into his account.”This is not the first time that Nigeria have been found wanting in terms of paying their national team coach.In 1988 the sport’s world governing body Fifa had to order them to pay German coach Manfred Hoener his wages.Vogts, who earlier this month signed a four-year contract with Nigeria, was due to fly into Abuja on Tuesday but called off the trip when the NFA failed to pay him.A terse statement from the NFA said Vogts called off his visit while spokesman Robinson Okosun would not say when he would arrive.Vogts first match is Nigeria’s 2008 African Nations Cup qualifier against Uganda on March 24.Telephone company Globacom, which is a major sponsor of the NFA, is responsible for the payment of Vogts’ contract.Nampa-AFP”This was agreed by the coach and other officials in London but the money has yet to be paid into his account.”This is not the first time that Nigeria have been found wanting in terms of paying their national team coach.In 1988 the sport’s world governing body Fifa had to order them to pay German coach Manfred Hoener his wages.Vogts, who earlier this month signed a four-year contract with Nigeria, was due to fly into Abuja on Tuesday but called off the trip when the NFA failed to pay him.A terse statement from the NFA said Vogts called off his visit while spokesman Robinson Okosun would not say when he would arrive.Vogts first match is Nigeria’s 2008 African Nations Cup qualifier against Uganda on March 24.Telephone company Globacom, which is a major sponsor of the NFA, is responsible for the payment of Vogts’ contract.Nampa-AFP