Efe Ambrose’s £20k pick-me-up

Published on 14/02/2013 00:00

CELTIC defender Efe Ambrose may have had a Champions League nightmare and emerged as the fall guy for his side’s punishing 3-0 defeat by Juventus on Tuesday night, but he has received some welcome good news after the president of Nigeria handed him a £20,000 bonus.

The added windfall comes on top of £40,000 in payments he has already received just for reaching the Africa Cup of Nations final, which Nigeria won on Sunday, beating Burkina Faso 1-0. The country’s president, Goodluck Jonathan, gave each player a £20,000 bonus for lifting the continental trophy for the first time in 19 years.

Ambrose had already banked £40,000 under a bonus agreement with the Nigerian FA and also received a payment from multi-national African oil and gas company Dangote Group, giving him a £60,000 pay day. President Jonathan, who also bestowed Ambrose and the players with the Order of the Niger award, said: “We thank you for making us proud, we want to celebrate you our gallant Eagles. It was a well-deserved victory, you deserved all the accolades and praise, your victory reminds us that dreams can actually come true.’’

In addition to the awards and cash donations, each member of the Super Eagles received a plot of land in Abuja. However, after rushing back to Glasgow from the finals in South Africa to line up for Celtic in their crucial last 16 tie, Ambrose turned in a disastrous display against Juventus. He was at fault for two goals and even managed to miss a sitter at the other end too, heading tamely into the ground when given a clear sight of goal.