FG Clears Super Eagles’ AFCON 2025 Bonuses After Boycott Threat Ahead of Algeria Clash

FG Clears Super Eagles’ AFCON 2025 Bonuses After Boycott Threat Ahead of Algeria Clash

The Federal Government has confirmed that outstanding Super Eagles match bonuses at the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) have passed all required regulatory approvals and will begin reflecting in players’ domiciliary accounts within 24 hours.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Minister of State for Finance, Doris Uzoka-Anite, said the payments would hit players’ accounts “starting today or tomorrow,” following the completion of foreign exchange processing.

The announcement comes after reports that the Super Eagles threatened to boycott travel to the host city of their AFCON quarter-final match over unpaid allowances. Nigeria is scheduled to face Algeria on Saturday in Marrakesh, about five hours from their current base in Fez, with the team due to travel on Thursday.

Sources said the players and officials were prepared to miss the trip unless the outstanding bonuses were settled. The Eagles are yet to receive bonuses for all four matches played so far at the tournament.

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Uzoka-Anite explained that the delay was caused by the conversion process to foreign currency, noting that players opted to receive payments in foreign exchange. She added that the process had now been fast-tracked, with final transfers “currently in flight.”

“The Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) have successfully streamlined the foreign exchange processing to ensure our players are rewarded without further delay,” she said, adding that future payments would be made faster and more predictably in line with international best practices.

Earlier, the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, also confirmed that all financial entitlements of the Super Eagles players and officials had been resolved. He disclosed that President Bola Tinubu approved the team’s AFCON 2025 budget as far back as November 2025, ensuring alignment among the NSC, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the players.

The latest development recalls a similar episode in November 2024, when players boycotted training during World Cup qualifying playoffs over unpaid allowances. Nigeria later lost to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, ending its hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

With the payment issue now addressed, attention turns to Saturday’s crucial quarter-final as Nigeria seeks a place in the AFCON semi-finals.

FG Clears Super Eagles’ AFCON 2025 Bonuses After Boycott Threat Ahead of Algeria Clash