The Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, has confirmed that the bonus dispute involving the Super Eagles has been resolved, paving the way for the team’s travel to Marrakech ahead of their quarter-final match against Algeria at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Nigeria’s impressive campaign at the tournament was briefly overshadowed by reports that the players were considering boycotting the last-eight encounter over the non-payment of match bonuses. However, speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, Dikko dismissed fears of any disruption, insisting the situation had been fully addressed.
“First and foremost, I must tell you that the team trained yesterday, definitely. The team will be travelling today, definitely,” Dikko said on Thursday.
He explained that the delay in bonus payments was due to administrative procedures, noting that the funds had already been approved and were undergoing the required processing stages.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, approved the special budget for the AFCON as far back as November 14, 2025. But approving funds is different from disbursing them. The process involves the Ministry of Finance, the Office of the Accountant-General, and the Central Bank of Nigeria,” he explained.
Dikko added that the players have received their daily allowances for the tournament, which were paid in cash as previously agreed.
“It’s normal for players to ask when alerts will come. But I don’t think any player made any public statement; it started as speculation,” he said.
According to the NSC chairman, players are expected to start receiving their match bonus payments for the group stage and round of 16 as early as Thursday or Friday, with subsequent payments to follow as the team progresses in the competition.
Three-time champions Nigeria booked their place in the quarter-finals with a dominant 4-0 victory over Mozambique in the round of 16. The Super Eagles will now face Algeria in a highly anticipated rematch of their 2019 AFCON semi-final meeting, where a late Riyad Mahrez free-kick handed the Desert Foxes a 1-0 victory en route to lifting the trophy in Egypt.
