THE Super Eagles of Nigeria on Wednesday held a training session in Fez, Morocco, despite growing tension in the camp over unpaid bonuses and allowances, following reports that players and officials were prepared to boycott training and delay their movement to Marrakesh if the issue was not resolved.
News Point Nigeria Sports reports that Nigeria are scheduled to travel from Fez to Marrakesh on Thursday, ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) quarter-final clash, but uncertainty surrounded the team’s preparations after claims emerged that promised payments for the ongoing tournament were yet to be received.
Veteran sports journalist Oluwashina Okeleji earlier reported that both players and coaching staff were awaiting outstanding bonus payments covering four matches already played at the tournament.
“Players and coaching staff of Nigeria are waiting on AFCON 2025 bonus payments,” Okeleji wrote on X.
“Win bonuses from four matches versus Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Mozambique have yet to be received. Squad remain focused but will not train or travel to Marrakesh on Thursday if this isn’t resolved.”
He added that officials had made firm financial commitments to the team before the start of the tournament.
Efforts to obtain official clarification from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) proved unsuccessful, as several officials declined to comment on the matter.
Both the team’s media officer, Promise Efoghe, and NFF President, Ibrahim Gusau, said they were unaware of any protest threat within the camp.
However, hours after the initial reports, journalist Tobi Adepoju suggested that the federation had begun moves to address the situation.
“I just spoke with a top NFF official about the potential players’ and officials’ strike,” Adepoju wrote on X.
Quoting the official, he added, “The monies have been processed from CBN to individual banks. The players and officials will receive all their bonuses when the process is completed.”
Later in the day, Adepoju confirmed that the Super Eagles had gone ahead with their training programme in Fez despite the earlier uncertainty.
“Super Eagles players just finished their training session in Fez. Today’s training session was held amidst the report about a potential strike,” he posted.
Checks revealed that the players’ initial stance was largely reactionary, serving as a warning signal to the authorities ahead of the scheduled training session.
While they eventually trained, the players reportedly maintained the option of delaying their flight to Marrakesh if the payment issue dragged on.
The latest episode has revived memories of a similar incident in November, when the Super Eagles boycotted training in Rabat just days before a crucial 2026 World Cup playoff against Gabon over unpaid bonuses and allowances, some of which reportedly dated back to 2019.
Nigeria are billed to face Algeria’s Desert Foxes in the AFCON quarter-finals on Saturday, with attention now shifting to whether the off-field financial concerns have been fully resolved as the competition enters its decisive stage.