Skip to main content

Standard Times NG

Strike threats rock Eagles Camp as NFF shifts blame to CBN over unpaid AFCON allowances

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has moved to calm rising tensions within the Super Eagles camp, confirming that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is now directly handling the payment of allowances owed to players and officials at AFCON 2025.

The confirmation follows widespread reports of unrest within the squad, sparked by threats to boycott the quarterfinal clash against Algeria over unpaid entitlements.

Journalist Tobi Adepoju, popularly known as Oganla Media, disclosed the development after speaking with senior NFF officials in Morocco.

“UPDATE FROM MOROCCO: I just spoke with a top NFF official about the potential players’ and officials’ strike,” Adepoju wrote on X.

According to him, the NFF official explained: “The monies have been processed from CBN to individual banks. The players and officials will receive all their bonuses when the process is completed.”

BBC journalist Oluwashina Okeleji earlier reported that the Eagles were prepared to down tools if payments were not resolved, highlighting unpaid bonuses from matches against Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, and Mozambique.

“The squad remains focused but the players will NOT train or travel to Marrakech on Thursday if this isn’t resolved,” Okeleji noted, adding that Nigeria’s ability to self-sabotage remains a recurring theme.

Officials had reportedly made firm promises to the players ahead of the tournament, promises that now appear to have strained trust.

Nigeria enjoyed a perfect group-stage run, defeating Tanzania 2–1, Tunisia 3–2, Uganda 3–1, before hammering Mozambique 4–0 in the round of 16.

Eric Chelle’s men are scheduled to face Algeria in the quarterfinal on Saturday, January 10, 2026, in Marrakech, with a place in the semifinals at stake amid lingering payment drama.

Share this post:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

em ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.