How I Bypassed NFF, Called Buhari To Secure Eagles’ 2018 World Cup Bonuses — Mikel Obi

Former Super Eagles captain, John Obi Mikel, has revealed how he contacted the office of former President Muhammadu Buhari through his Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, to secure the payment of players’ bonuses during the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, following months of delay by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

Mikel said the intervention resulted in the delivery of millions of dollars in cash via a private jet to the team’s hotel, just days into the tournament.

The former Chelsea midfielder disclosed this on his Obi One Podcast, released on Tuesday, where he criticised the NFF for what he described as persistent failures in handling players’ welfare and bonus payments.

According to Mikel, FIFA releases “parachute money” ahead of major tournaments, which federations were expected to use—sometimes through borrowing—to pay players’ bonuses before being reimbursed.

“Talking about fighting for players’ bonuses, I went above the president of the NFF to get those bonuses, which is what I did a couple of times during the World Cup,” he said.

He further explained that players were owed bonuses for months before the tournament, despite repeated assurances from NFF officials that the issue would be resolved once the team arrived in camp.

“We got to camp, and I spoke to the team secretary and the president. I asked, ‘Where is the money?’ Again, they said, ‘Don’t worry, Mikel, we’ll sort it out,’” he recalled.

As days passed and players grew increasingly anxious about the possibility of never receiving their bonuses after the tournament, Mikel said he decided to escalate the matter.

“I called the Chief of Staff and said, ‘We have a serious issue in the national team. We need this money to settle the players. This is what was promised,” he said.

According to Mikel, within 24 hours, a private jet arrived at the team’s hotel with the cash. “The money was delivered hand to hand. Millions of dollars,” he said, adding that he immediately handed it over to the team secretary to safeguard it for the players.

Mikel said his actions angered senior NFF officials, including the then federation president, who summoned him to a meeting two days later.
“They said, ‘Mikel, why did you do this? You’ve made us look like idiots,” he recounted. “I told them I had been asking for this money for months. When you fail, I have to take responsibility because my players need the money. This money is owed; it’s not a favour.”

Beyond the 2018 bonus saga, Mikel also criticised the current state of football administration in Nigeria, insisting that meaningful progress would remain elusive without reforms at the NFF.

He also questioned the circumstances surrounding William Troost-Ekong’s recent retirement from international football, describing it as uncharacteristic and suggesting that unresolved internal issues within the national team setup may have contributed to the decision.