SUPER Eagles captain, Wilfred Ndidi, has stepped in to calm rising tensions in the national team’s camp at the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, pledging to personally pay outstanding match bonuses if the Federal Government fails to fulfil its obligation before Saturday’s quarter-final clash against Algeria.
News Point Nigeria Sports reports that Ndidi made the commitment amid growing concerns that unpaid bonuses could disrupt Nigeria’s preparations for one of its most crucial matches of the tournament.
The Leicester City midfielder was quoted by BBC journalist Oluwashina Okeleji on Thursday, shortly after assurances were given by the Federal Government that the payments would be fast-tracked.
According to Ndidi, the decision was taken to shield players and officials from distractions and ensure total focus ahead of the high-stakes encounter in Marrakech.
“I’ve been pushing the team to train and play the game against Algeria. I’ve been doing this since the second game,” Ndidi said in a post shared by Okeleji on X.
“I’ve now made a commitment to the staff and players that I’ll personally pay the bonuses if the authorities fail to before Saturday.”
He added that unresolved financial issues must not be allowed to derail the team’s ambition of winning a fourth continental title.
“I don’t want these unpaid bonuses to affect our preparations. I told players and coaching staff that I’d personally make the payments if they don’t get it,” the captain stated.
Ndidi’s intervention followed reports that the Super Eagles’ camp had been unsettled by alleged plans to boycott training and travel arrangements on Thursday. The protest was reportedly linked to unpaid bonuses for the team’s three group-stage matches and their Round of 16 fixture.
In response to the situation, the Minister of State for Finance, Doris Uzoka-Anite, provided an update on the status of the payments, assuring Nigerians that the matter was being resolved swiftly.
In a statement posted on X, Uzoka-Anite disclosed that bonuses for the group-stage matches had already been released and had cleared the necessary regulatory processes. She further explained that new measures had been introduced to prevent similar delays going forward.
“The Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria have successfully streamlined the foreign exchange processing to ensure our players are rewarded without further delay,” the minister said.
She added that future disbursements would now follow a faster and more predictable framework aligned with international best practices.
“Going forward, the process will be fully streamlined to ensure faster, more predictable disbursements. All group-stage bonuses were fully released and have now cleared the necessary regulatory stages,” Uzoka-Anite noted.
The minister also revealed that a fast-track conversion process had been implemented to ensure players receive their bonuses in their preferred foreign currency.
“The final transfers to domiciliary accounts are currently in flight. Players can expect these funds to reflect starting today (Thursday) or tomorrow (Friday),” she said.
Meanwhile, Ndidi and his teammates arrived in Marrakech on Thursday and held a training session as preparations intensified for Saturday’s quarter-final showdown against Algeria.
Nigeria are targeting a fourth AFCON title in Morocco, having previously lifted the trophy in 1980, 1994, and 2013, and will be hoping that off-field distractions are fully resolved as they continue their quest for continental glory.