A storm brewed over the Super Eagles’ camp this week as Nigeria’s players threatened to boycott training and refuse the flight to Marrakech ahead of Saturday’s Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinal against Algeria. What began as a simmering grievance over unpaid win bonuses exploded into a public standoff that briefly threatened to derail the team’s preparations.
Players Dig In Over Missing Bonuses
Sources told ESPN that on Tuesday night the squad informed officials they would neither train nor board the plane until they received bonuses for four victories at the tournament — the group wins over Tanzania, Tunisia and Uganda, plus the round-of-16 triumph over Mozambique. The demand was blunt and immediate: payment now, or no movement.
Federation Moves to Calm the Waters
By Wednesday the Nigeria Football Federation president Ibrahim Musa Gusau told ESPN the crisis had been defused. Players were shown documentation proving payments had been processed and returned to training, he said, insisting the team would travel as planned. The initial report of the dispute was first broken by the BBC’s Oluwashina Okeleji.
How the Money Was Routed
An official from the National Sports Commission explained the delay: government restrictions on transporting cash, especially foreign currency, forced payments to be routed through the Central Bank of Nigeria. The official said funds had been processed and would land in players’ accounts within seven days. Players were shown payment slips as proof, with only the Mozambique bonus still outstanding and due to be cleared within days.
The source also confirmed that additional pledged incentives — $5,000 per group-stage goal and $10,000 per knockout goal — had already been paid, totalling $80,000 and funded by friends of the Sports Ministry.
A Familiar Pattern of Protests
This episode is the latest twist in a recurring saga of payment disputes that have dogged Nigerian football for years. The Super Eagles staged a similar protest before their World Cup qualifying playoff against DR Congo, a match that ended in elimination on penalties. Players have repeatedly had to threaten boycotts to secure bonuses they say are owed to them, turning financial wrangles into a recurring distraction.
Tension on and off the Pitch
The bonus dispute compounds an already tense Morocco campaign for Nigeria, which has seen on-field friction among stars — notably an incident involving Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Bruno Onyemaechi that left Osimhen walking to the team bus alone. Yet despite the turmoil, the Super Eagles have been among the tournament’s most formidable sides, sweeping their group and routing Mozambique 4-0 in the round of 16.
Focus Shifts Back to Marrakech
With assurances from officials and payment slips shown to players, confidence in the camp appears restored for now. Nigeria will face Algeria on Saturday in Marrakech, with a place in the semifinals and a chance to silence the off-field noise if they can channel their talent and resolve on the pitch.
