Super Eagles to miss Ghana08?

.. As, Money crisis rocks Nigerian football
The country's parliament has refused to approve the 2008 sports budget, unless the Nigeria Sports Commission (NSC) can account for the money it that it was allocated this year.

Of the 43 million dollars allocated, the NSC has accounted for only six million dollars.


The NSC has a deadline of Thurday to explain how the 2007 budget was spent.


If it fails to do so, there may be no budget released for 2008.


Nigeria would then have no government support for the Nations Cup finals, 2010 World Cup qualifiers and their final Olympic Games qualifier. This administration will not tolerate corruption


The country's teams in all sports at the Olympic Games in Beijing would also be without state support.


The chair of the Senate Committee on Sports, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri said: "This administration will not tolerate corruption.

"The NSC has failed to account for the five billion naira allocated it and this committee will not sit down and listen to you. The Super Eagles will need state support for the Nations Cup


"This government has zero tolerance for corruption and we want to know how the money was spent before we can even have a look, allocate and approve the 2008 budget."


President Umaru Yar'Adua has pledged to stamp out corruption in the country.


The senate committee also told Sports Minister Abdulrahman Hassan Gimba to resolve the long-running problems between the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) and Nigeria Football League (NFL) as a condition before the 2008 sports budget is considered.


"We will not also look at the budget if the crisis between the NFA and NFL is not resolved," he said.