Players of Nigeria’s senior national team have threatened to boycott training and travel to Marrakech for their quarter-final clash against Algeria on Saturday unless their outstanding bonuses are paid.
According to veteran Nigerian journalist Oluwashina Okeleji, the players have not received any match bonuses since the start of the tournament, despite winning all four of their fixtures.
The players are demanding payment of bonuses for victories against Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, and Mozambique, warning that they will neither train nor travel for the quarter-final if the issue is not resolved.
Team officials are also reportedly affected, with the situation drawing parallels to a previous incident during the World Cup qualifying playoff, when the team refused to train ahead of the decisive match against DR Congo, a game Nigeria eventually lost.
In response to the growing standoff, senior officials of the National Sports Commission (NSC), led by chairman Shehu Dikko, are expected to meet with the players in a bid to resolve the impasse, which now threatens Nigeria’s impressive run at the tournament.
Officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) are also expected to be part of the meeting as efforts intensify to prevent further disruption.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
