Nigeria’s National Sports Commission (NSC) chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko, has assured that Super Eagles players will receive their outstanding match bonuses, attributing the delay to recent administrative changes.
Reports on Wednesday claimed the players had threatened to boycott training and remain in Fez rather than travel to Marrakesh for their Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final against Algeria, due to unpaid bonuses.
Nigeria have won all four of their matches at the 2025 AFCON so far, defeating Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Mozambique, but are yet to receive their winning bonuses and other entitlements.
Speaking to media outlets, including Footy-Africa, in Morocco, Dikko moved to clarify the situation.
“There was no intentional delay in the release of funds to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF),” Dikko said in an interview attended by Footy-Africa.
“There were some structural changes in the Ministry of Finance, and this caused a short delay – not only for sports, but across other ministries as well.”
AFCON 2025: Schedule, results and standings of the Africa Cup of Nations
The NSC chairman added that President Bola Tinubu sanctioned a bulk allocation for multiple sporting activities, including AFCON. He assured that payments would begin from Thursday night:
“The President approved a bulk sum for the Sports Commission, from which we are expected to fund AFCON, the Islamic Games in Riyadh, the Youth Games in Angola, and other sporting engagements.”
The Super Eagles later returned to training in Fez on Wednesday night and completed their session as scheduled.
Meanwhile, NSC Director-General Bukola Olopade praised the team’s commitment and performance so far in the tournament.
“The Super Eagles are a tournament team,” Olopade said. “By that, I mean a team that builds momentum in the group stages and grows stronger as the competition progresses. That explains why Nigeria have the highest number of semi-final appearances in AFCON history.”
He expressed satisfaction with the team’s cohesion and mentality under head coach Eric Chelle.
“I’m not surprised by the team’s performances so far, but it gladdens my heart to see a side playing with such cohesion, understanding and dedication. Against Mozambique, even at 4-0, they played with the intensity of a goalless game. We are proud of what Eric Chelle and his players have done. If they maintain this intensity, they can beat any team.”
Osimhen behaviour ‘disgraceful’, says former Nigeria international Elijah
Olopade added that winning the tournament remains the ultimate goal:
“Nigerians deserve something to feel good about, especially after not qualifying for the FIFA World Cup. I believe this team should be aiming for the trophy – that should be their mentality. However, African football has grown, and we must acknowledge that no team can simply sit back and assume they know who will win the trophy.”
Nigeria face Algeria on Saturday, with a place in the semi-finals at stake.
