The Super Eagles of Nigeria have boycotted a scheduled training session ahead of their crucial 2026 World Cup playoff match against Gabon, citing long-standing unpaid bonuses and allowances amounting to approximately $6 million owed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) since 2019.
The standoff, which occured on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, in Rabat, where the team is camped for the Thursday clash, has thrown Nigeria’s World Cup qualification campaign into uncertainty.
According to team sources, the unpaid entitlements include bonuses for AFCON qualification matches, World Cup qualifiers, and other international appearances, dating back several years.
Prominent players are said to have participated in the protest, insisting that the federation resolve the matter before they resume full preparations.
Popular Nigerian sports photographer, Pooja, took to X to explain what was going.
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Another popular Nigerian sports journalist, Oma Akatugba, explained that the standdown by players was mainly because of unpaid bonuses.
In response, NFF President Ibrahim Gusau has reportedly travelled to Morocco to hold emergency talks with the squad, aiming to defuse the situation before it disrupts Thursday’s high-stakes playoff at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.
The federation has acknowledged partial payments of outstanding allowances, while confirming that additional funds have been released by the National Sports Commission to help clear the debt backlog.
An NFF insider speaking on condition of anonymity said, “The players have every right to be frustrated. These bonuses have been pending for too long, but efforts are being made to resolve the issue before the match.”
The incident has sparked outrage among Nigerian fans, who took to social media to express both sympathy for the players and anger toward the football authorities.
One fan posted on X, “These boys give everything for the country, the least they deserve is their pay.” Another wrote, “Every World Cup cycle, same story. When will this end?”
This is not the first time the Super Eagles have clashed with the NFF over financial matters. Similar disputes occurred before the 2014 and 2018 World Cups, prompting concerns about chronic mismanagement and the federation’s failure to honour contractual obligations to players.
With less than 48 hours to kick off, uncertainty looms over whether the standoff will affect the team’s morale and readiness. As negotiations continue behind closed doors, supporters are hoping for a swift resolution to ensure Nigeria’s focus returns to the pitch, and not the politics off it.
For now, the Super Eagles’ message remains clear: no training, and possibly no match, until their long-overdue bonuses are paid.
