Super Eagles captain Wilfred Ndidi has promised to personally pay his teammates’ and officials’ outstanding match bonuses at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco if the Federal Government fails to release the funds before Saturday’s quarter-final against Algeria.
Ndidi made the declaration on Thursday, speaking to BBC journalist Oluwashina Okeleji, even as the Federal Government, through the Office of the Minister of State for Finance, Doris Uzoka-Anite, assured that payments would be fast-tracked between Thursday and Friday.
“I’ve been motivating the team to focus on training and preparing for the Algeria game since our second match,” Ndidi said. “I’ve now committed to the staff and players that I will personally pay their bonuses if the authorities don’t do so before Saturday.”
He emphasized that unpaid bonuses should not distract the squad from their preparations.
Earlier reports indicated that players and officials were considering boycotting travel to Marrakech and skipping training sessions due to unpaid bonuses for the three group-stage matches and the round of 16 fixture.
Uzoka-Anite clarified that group-stage bonuses had already been released and cleared all necessary regulatory steps. She further explained that a new streamlined process had been introduced to ensure future payments are processed quickly and in the players’ preferred currency.
“The Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria have fast-tracked the foreign exchange process to guarantee players are paid without delay. Transfers to domiciliary accounts are already in progress and should reflect between Thursday and Friday,” she said.
Ndidi and the Super Eagles arrived in Marrakech on Thursday and held a training session ahead of their quarter-final clash with Algeria. Nigeria is aiming for a fourth AFCON title, having previously won the tournament in 1980, 1994, and 2013.
