A Premier League star has revealed how his national team was rewarded with big money to build homes after their performance at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
The 2023 AFCON certainly lived up to its billing, with many touting it to be the best edition of the tournament to date thanks to the thrilling action and unpredictable results that occurred.
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Perhaps the most interesting result of them all was the fact that the hosts, Ivory Coast, went on to win the competition in sensational fashion. They were initially on the brink of elimination during the group stage and only qualified for the knockout phase after being one of the best third-placed teams in the groups.
Moreover, the Elephants were also the first nation at the showpiece to sack their coach, with then-boss Jean-Louis Gasset dismissed and replaced with his assistant coach, Emerse Fae.
The roller-coaster ride ultimately ended with the hosts winning the AFCON on home soil, prompting the country's prime minister, Robert Beugre Mambe, to promise each player with a cash bonus of 50 million FCFA (about R1.5 million) and a villa of the same value.
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Five months after their incredible success, Brighton Hove Albion sensation Simon Adingra has revealed that the prime minister delivered on his promise, although they were advised by elders to build homes with the money allotted for villas.
"The president offered us 50 million FCFA, plus a villa worth 50 million FCFA," Adingra revealed, as per Afrik-Foot.
"The old members of the group convinced us that it is better to take 100 million, and that everyone can build their own house."
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Meanwhile, coach Fae reportedly received 100 million FCFA (about R2.9 million)as a bonus, while his staff shared the sum of 400 million FCFA (R11.9 million).
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