Super Eagles captain, Wilfred Ndidi, has pledged to personally settle outstanding match bonuses owed to players and officials at the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco if the Federal Government fails to release the funds before Saturday’s quarter-final clash against Algeria.
Ndidi made the disclosure on Thursday, saying the decision was aimed at preventing the issue of unpaid bonuses from disrupting the team’s focus and preparations ahead of the crucial encounter.
According to a post by BBC journalist Oluwashina Okeleji on X (formerly Twitter), the Leicester City midfielder said he had been encouraging his teammates to remain professional and committed despite the uncertainty surrounding the payments.
“I’ve been pushing the team to train and prepare for the game against Algeria. I’ve been doing this since our second match,” Ndidi was quoted as saying. “I’ve now made a commitment to the players and coaching staff that I will personally pay the bonuses if the authorities fail to do so before Saturday.”
He added that his priority was to shield the team from distractions that could affect performance on the pitch.
“I don’t want unpaid bonuses to affect our preparations. I told the players and staff that I will make the payments myself if they don’t get it,” he said.
The development follows reports earlier in the week that the Super Eagles’ camp had been unsettled by unpaid bonuses for the three group-stage matches and the round of 16, with speculation that players and officials were considering a boycott of training sessions and travel to Marrakech.
In response to the concerns, the Federal Government, through the Minister of State for Finance, Mrs. Doris Uzoka-Anite, assured Nigerians that the issue was being addressed and that payments would be fast-tracked between Thursday and Friday.
Providing an update on Thursday, Uzoka-Anite said the government had released funds for the group-stage bonuses and that the payments had cleared the necessary regulatory processes.
“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,” she stated in a post on X.
She explained that a new, improved process had been implemented to prevent future delays, noting that subsequent payments would no longer be affected by administrative bottlenecks.
“Going forward, the process will be fully streamlined to ensure faster and more predictable disbursements aligned with international best practices,” the minister said. “All group-stage bonuses were fully released and have now cleared the necessary regulatory stages.”
Uzoka-Anite further disclosed that arrangements had been made to convert funds into foreign currency in line with players’ preferences, adding that transfers to their domiciliary accounts were already underway.
“We have implemented a fast-track conversion process. Final transfers are currently in flight, and players can expect the funds to reflect starting today (Thursday) or tomorrow (Friday),” she added.
Meanwhile, Ndidi and his teammates arrived in Marrakech on Thursday and held another training session as they intensify preparations for Saturday’s quarter-final showdown against Algeria at the AFCON 2025 tournament.
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