The Federal Government has assured Nigeria’s Super Eagles that their outstanding match allowances for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will be paid “starting today or tomorrow,” moving to defuse a crisis that threatened to derail the team’s quarter-final participation.
The assurance, issued by the Minister of State for Finance, Doris Uzoka-Anite, on Thursday, comes one day after the players threatened to boycott travel for their crucial knockout match against Algeria over unpaid bonuses.
“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,” Uzoka-Anite stated in a release.
“Final transfers to domiciliary accounts are currently in flight.”
The minister cited foreign exchange conversion as the primary cause for the delay, noting the process was initiated to meet the “players’ preferences” for payment in foreign currency. She added that the government has now “fast-tracked” the procedure.
This intervention follows reports on Wednesday that the squad, which has won all four of its matches in Morocco and is the tournament’s highest-scoring team, was prepared to miss its scheduled Thursday travel from Fez to Marrakesh. The players had yet to receive bonuses for their four victories.
The payment dispute is a familiar headache for Nigerian football. In November 2024, a similar bonus row led the Eagles to boycott training ahead of a decisive 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying playoff against DR Congo. The team, reportedly distracted by the financial uncertainty, lost the match, ending Nigeria’s qualification hopes.
Uzoka-Anite’s statement sought to assure future improvements, noting, “Going forward, the process will be fully streamlined to ensure faster, more predictable disbursements aligned with international best practice.”
