The Federal Government has confirmed that the Super Eagles’ match bonuses for the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) have passed all required regulatory procedures and are now being processed for payment.
In a statement released on Thursday, the Minister of State for Finance, Doris Uzoka-Anite, disclosed that the payments would begin reflecting in the players’ domiciliary accounts “from today or tomorrow.”
Her clarification followed reports that the Super Eagles had on Wednesday threatened to boycott their journey to the venue of their AFCON quarter-final clash due to unpaid allowances. Nigeria is scheduled to face Algeria on Saturday in Marrakesh, approximately five hours from their current base in Fez, with travel planned for Thursday.
Players and team officials reportedly insisted they would not make the trip unless the outstanding bonuses were settled. The team is yet to receive allowances for all four matches played so far at the tournament.
This is not the first time financial issues have disrupted the national team. In November 2024, the Super Eagles boycotted training sessions during the African World Cup qualifiers over unpaid allowances. Shortly after, Nigeria lost to DR Congo, effectively ending their qualification hopes for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Explaining the delay, Uzoka-Anite attributed it to the “conversion process required to move funds into foreign currency,” noting that foreign currency payments were the players’ preferred option. She added that the process had now been accelerated, with final transfers already underway.
“The Federal Government, working with the Central Bank of Nigeria, has streamlined the foreign exchange process to ensure our players are paid without further delay,” she said.
“Going forward, this system will be fully optimised to allow for quicker and more predictable payments in line with international best practices.”
Earlier, Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, also confirmed that all financial entitlements of the players and officials had been resolved. His comments came amid reports of possible boycotts of training and travel ahead of Saturday’s encounter with Algeria.
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Dikko revealed that President Bola Tinubu approved the Super Eagles’ AFCON 2025 budget in November 2025, ensuring alignment between the NSC, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), and the players.
“The President approved the entire AFCON budget on November 14, 2025. From our side, funding has been fully cleared,” Dikko stated.
He, however, clarified that while approval had been granted, the processing and release of funds were separate stages, reassuring players that the money was already being disbursed.
On the pitch, the Super Eagles have delivered an impressive campaign, winning all four of their matches so far. Nigeria currently stands as the tournament’s highest-scoring team with 12 goals, having topped Group C before recording a dominant 4–0 victory over Mozambique in the round of 16.
The winner of Saturday’s quarter-final between Nigeria and Algeria will advance to face either Morocco or Cameroon in the semi-finals.
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