Nigeria’s AFCON Hopes Threatened As Players Demand Bonus Payments

Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign faces significant disruption as Super Eagles players have reportedly threatened to boycott their quarter-final match against Algeria unless outstanding winning bonuses were paid immediately.

Sources within the team camp in Fes indicated that players were refusing to train and will not travel to Marrakech for Saturday’s crucial fixture. This comes despite an impressive 100 per cent win record for Nigeria at the ongoing 2025 tournament in Morocco.

The dispute centred on unpaid bonuses from four victories: against Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, and Mozambique. Each player is currently owed a substantial sum of $42,500 for reaching the quarter-finals. This figure comprises $30,000 for their group stage performance and an additional $12,500 for their Round of 16 win over Mozambique.

Further financial incentives await the team, with $15,000 per player for a quarter-final victory, $17,500 for a semi-final win, and a final $20,000 for lifting the AFCON trophy.

This isn’t the first time bonus disputes have plagued Nigerian football. A similar protest over World Cup qualifying bonuses reportedly contributed to the team’s failure to secure a World Cup ticket against DR Congo in Morocco.

With the Super Eagles scheduled to travel to Marrakech on Thursday, urgent intervention, potentially from President Bola Tinubu was needed to avert a potential crisis and keep Nigeria’s AFCON dreams alive.