Football players from Ivory Coast and Nigeria are being given money, houses, and awards as a reward for their performance in the Africa Cup of Nations final. The winning team from Ivory Coast will get $82,000 and a fancy house. The President of Ivory Coast, Alassane Ouattara, praised the players for making the country happy. In Nigeria, each player on the team has been given a special award called the Member of the Order of the Niger, which is a big honor. They will also get an apartment and some land near the capital city, Abuja. The players from South Africa, who came in third place, will get around $52,000 each.

The money, houses, and awards are in addition to the prize money that the teams already won from the Africa Cup of Nations. The winners, Ivory Coast, will get $7 million, while the second-place team, Nigeria, will get $4 million. A lot of people around the world watched the tournament, almost two billion people! Some experts hope that this will make people appreciate African football more and give African teams more spots in the World Cup in the future. Right now, Africa has nine spots in the World Cup, while Europe has 13, even though they have about the same number of countries.

In the past, African national teams have had problems with not getting paid their salaries and bonuses. The Cameroon team, who did really well in the 1990 World Cup, had to wait more than 30 years to get the houses they were promised. Last year, women’s footballers from South Africa won a fight to get paid more after they refused to play in a game. People hope that the rewards and recognition given to the players from Ivory Coast and Nigeria will set a good example for future tournaments and make sure that players get the money they deserve for their hard work.

Original news source: Afcon: Ivory Coast and Nigeria players get cash, villas and honours (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

Fast

📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs, students will read the article and then summarize the main points in their own words. They should focus on the rewards given to the football players from Ivory Coast and Nigeria and the potential impact on African football.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: In small groups, students will discuss and share their opinions on whether the rewards given to the football players are justified. They can also discuss the importance of recognizing and rewarding athletes for their hard work.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into teams. Give each team a set of vocabulary words related to the article. One team member will draw a word from the set and try to get their teammates to guess the word without speaking. The team with the most correct guesses wins.

– Pros and Cons
Instructions: In pairs, students will discuss the pros and cons of giving money, houses, and awards to athletes as a reward for their performance. They can also discuss the potential impact on the players, their countries, and the sport of football.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: In pairs, students will discuss and make predictions about the future of African football and the World Cup. They can discuss whether the rewards given to the players will lead to more recognition and opportunities for African teams in the future.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What rewards are the football players from Ivory Coast and Nigeria receiving for their performance in the Africa Cup of Nations final?
2. How much money will the winning team from Ivory Coast receive?
3. Who praised the players from Ivory Coast for making the country happy?
4. What special award did each player on the Nigerian team receive?
5. What additional rewards are the Nigerian players receiving?
6. How much money will each player from the South African team receive?
7. How many people watched the tournament?
8. Why do some experts hope that the rewards given to the African teams will make people appreciate African football more?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Football (1)______ from Ivory Coast and Nigeria are being given money, houses, and (2)______s as a reward for their performance in the (3)______ Cup of Nations final. The winning team from Ivory Coast will get $82,000 and a fancy house. The President of Ivory Coast, Alassane (4)______, praised the players for making the country happy. In Nigeria, each player on the team has been given a special award called the Member of the Order of the Niger, which is a big honor. They will also get an apartment and some land near the capital city, Abuja. The players from South Africa, who came in (5)______ place, will get around $52,000 each.

The money, (6)______, and awards are in addition to the prize money that the teams already won from the Africa Cup of Nations. The (7)______, (8)______ Coast, will get $7 million, while the second-place team, Nigeria, will get $4 million. A lot of people around the world watched the (9)______, almost two billion people! Some (10)______ hope that this will make people appreciate African football more and give African teams more spots in the World Cup in the future. Right now, Africa has nine spots in the World Cup, while (11)______ has 13, even though they have about the same number of countries.

In the past, African national teams have had problems with not getting paid their salaries and bonuses. The (12)______ team, who did really well in the 1990 (13)______ Cup, had to wait more than 30 years to get the houses they were (14)______. Last year, women’s footballers from South Africa won a fight to get paid more after they refused to play in a game. People hope that the rewards and recognition (15)______ to the players from Ivory (16)______ and Nigeria will set a good example for future tournaments and make sure that players get the money they deserve for their hard work.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is the Africa Cup of Nations and why is it important?
2. How do you think the football players from Ivory Coast and Nigeria feel about receiving money, houses, and awards?
3. Do you think the rewards given to the players are fair? Why or why not?
4. How would you feel if you were given a fancy house and $82,000 for winning a football tournament?
5. Do you think it is important for athletes to be recognized and rewarded for their hard work? Why or why not?
6. What do you think about the idea of giving African teams more spots in the World Cup?
7. How do you think the players from South Africa feel about receiving $52,000 each for coming in third place?
8. Do you like watching football tournaments? Why or why not?
9. How do you think the players from Ivory Coast and Nigeria will use the money and houses they received?
10. What do you think about the past issues of African national teams not getting paid their salaries and bonuses?
11. How would you feel if you were promised something and had to wait more than 30 years to receive it?
12. Do you think it is important for athletes to fight for fair pay and treatment? Why or why not?
13. How do you think the rewards and recognition given to the players will impact future tournaments?
14. What other ways do you think athletes can be rewarded and recognized for their achievements?
15. Do you think it is important for countries to support and invest in their athletes? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. performance
2. praised
3. honor
4. tournament
5. appreciate
6. salaries
7. bonuses
8. recognition
9. deserve
10. apartments
11. capital
12. experts
13. appreciate
14. promised
15. refused

Meanings:
(A) The main city where a country’s government is located
(B) A series of games or contests to find a winner
(C) When people notice and value someone’s abilities or achievements
(D) Said they would give or do something
(E) To understand the value or importance of something
(F) To understand the value or importance of something
(G) How well someone does something, especially in sports or art
(H) To say no to doing something or to not agree to something
(I) Spoken or written words that say something is very good
(J) Extra money given as a reward, often for good work
(K) To earn something because of your actions or qualities
(L) People who have a lot of knowledge about a particular subject
(M) Living spaces in a building, usually rented or owned
(N) A sign of respect or admiration for someone’s achievements
(O) Money paid regularly for doing a job
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What are football players from Ivory Coast and Nigeria being given as a reward?
(a) Cars, vacations, and trophies
(b) Money, houses, and awards
(c) Clothes, food, and medals
(d) Books, bicycles, and certificates

2. How much money will the winning team from Ivory Coast receive?
(a) $7 million
(b) $52,000
(c) $82,000
(d) $4 million

3. What special award did each player on the Nigerian team receive?
(a) Member of the Order of the Niger
(b) African Footballer of the Year
(c) Golden Boot
(d) Most Valuable Player

4. Where will the Nigerian players receive their apartment and land?
(a) Near the capital city, Lagos
(b) Near the capital city, Accra
(c) Near the capital city, Abuja
(d) Near the capital city, Nairobi

5. How much money will the players from South Africa, who came in third place, receive?
(a) $7 million each
(b) $82,000 each
(c) $4 million each
(d) Around $52,000 each

6. How many people around the world watched the tournament?
(a) Only a few hundred people
(b) Almost two billion people
(c) About one million people
(d) More than five billion people

7. What do some experts hope will happen as a result of the tournament?
(a) People will appreciate African football more
(b) African teams will win more World Cup spots
(c) Europe will have fewer World Cup spots
(d) The tournament will be canceled next year

8. What problem have African national teams had in the past?
(a) Not winning enough games
(b) Not having enough players
(c) Not receiving enough recognition
(d) Not getting paid their salaries and bonuses

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. The players from South Africa, who came in third place, will receive around $52,000 each.
2. The President of Ivory Coast, Alassane Ouattara, praised the players for making the country happy.
3. The Nigerian players will also receive an apartment and land near Abuja.
4. Football players from Ivory Coast and Nigeria are receiving money, houses, and awards for their performance in the Africa Cup of Nations final.
5. The money, houses, and awards are in addition to the cash prize already won from the Africa Cup of Nations.
6. Nigerian players have been awarded the Member of the Order of Nigeria, a prestigious honor.
7. The goal is that this acknowledgment will lead to increased admiration for African football and more World Cup spots for African teams in the future.
8. The victorious team from Ivory Coast will receive $82,000 and a luxurious house.
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What are the football players from Ivory Coast and Nigeria being given as a reward for their performance in the Africa Cup of Nations final?
2. How much money will the winning team from Ivory Coast receive?
3. What special award did the players from Nigeria receive?
4. How much money will the players from South Africa, who came in third place, get?
5. Why do some experts hope that the rewards given to the African football players will make people appreciate African football more?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. The football players from Ivory Coast and Nigeria are receiving money, houses, and awards as rewards for their performance in the Africa Cup of Nations final.
2. The winning team from Ivory Coast will receive $82,000.
3. The President of Ivory Coast, Alassane Ouattara, praised the players for making the country happy.
4. Each player on the Nigerian team received a special award called the Member of the Order of the Niger.
5. The Nigerian players are also receiving an apartment and some land near the capital city, Abuja.
6. Each player from the South African team will receive around $52,000.
7. Almost two billion people watched the tournament.
8. Some experts hope that the rewards given to the African teams will make people appreciate African football more and give African teams more spots in the World Cup in the future.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) players
(2) award
(3) Africa
(4) Ouattara
(5) third
(6) houses
(7) winners
(8) Ivory
(9) tournament
(10) experts
(11) Europe
(12) Cameroon
(13) World
(14) promised
(15) given
(16) Coast
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. performance
Answer: (G) How well someone does something, especially in sports or art

2. praised
Answer: (I) Spoken or written words that say something is very good

3. honor
Answer: (N) A sign of respect or admiration for someone’s achievements

4. tournament
Answer: (B) A series of games or contests to find a winner

5. appreciate
Answer: (E) To understand the value or importance of something

6. salaries
Answer: (O) Money paid regularly for doing a job

7. bonuses
Answer: (J) Extra money given as a reward, often for good work

8. recognition
Answer: (C) When people notice and value someone’s abilities or achievements

9. deserve
Answer: (K) To earn something because of your actions or qualities

10. apartments
Answer: (M) Living spaces in a building, usually rented or owned

11. capital
Answer: (A) The main city where a country’s government is located

12. experts
Answer: (L) People who have a lot of knowledge about a particular subject

13. appreciate
Answer: (E) To understand the value or importance of something

14. promised
Answer: (D) Said they would give or do something

15. refused
Answer: (H) To say no to doing something or to not agree to something
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What are football players from Ivory Coast and Nigeria being given as a reward?
Answer: (b) Money, houses, and awards

2. How much money will the winning team from Ivory Coast receive?
Answer: (c) $82,000

3. What special award did each player on the Nigerian team receive?
Answer: (a) Member of the Order of the Niger

4. Where will the Nigerian players receive their apartment and land?
Answer: (c) Near the capital city, Abuja

5. How much money will the players from South Africa, who came in third place, receive?
Answer: (d) Around $52,000 each

6. How many people around the world watched the tournament?
Answer: (b) Almost two billion people

7. What do some experts hope will happen as a result of the tournament?
Answer: (a) People will appreciate African football more

8. What problem have African national teams had in the past?
Answer: (d) Not getting paid their salaries and bonuses
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. The players from South Africa, who came in third place, will receive around $52,000 each. (Answer: True)
2. The President of Ivory Coast, Alassane Ouattara, praised the players for making the country happy. (Answer: True)
3. The Nigerian players will also receive an apartment and land near Abuja. (Answer: True)
4. Football players from Ivory Coast and Nigeria are receiving money, houses, and awards for their performance in the Africa Cup of Nations final. (Answer: True)
5. The money, houses, and awards are in addition to the cash prize already won from the Africa Cup of Nations. (Answer: False)
6. Nigerian players have been awarded the Member of the Order of Nigeria, a prestigious honor. (Answer: False)
7. The goal is that this acknowledgment will lead to increased admiration for African football and more World Cup spots for African teams in the future. (Answer: False)
8. The victorious team from Ivory Coast will receive $82,000 and a luxurious house. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧