Abuja: The Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, has announced that all financial entitlements for the Super Eagles players and officials have been resolved. According to Dikko, this development comes amidst reports of players threatening to boycott training and their upcoming travel to Marrakech for Saturday’s match against Algeria.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Dikko confirmed that President Bola Tinubu had approved the Super Eagles’ AFCON 2025 budget since November 2025, ensuring alignment between the NSC, Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), and the players. Dikko stated, “The president approved the entire AFCON budget on Nov. 14, 2025. From our end, the funding has been fully cleared.”
He further clarified that while approval and processing are distinct stages, players have been reassured that funds have been approved and are currently being released. “Approving the money is one thing, processing it is another, but the players know the funds have been approved,” Dikko explained.
Meetings were conducted with the NFF, team captain, co-captain, and senior players to negotiate and finalize tournament bonuses. “We sat down, negotiated and agreed on what the players are entitled to up to the final. Everybody is clear,” Dikko mentioned. He emphasized that players were aware of their incentives and had accepted the terms prior to the tournament’s commencement. “The players know exactly what they are playing for and what their bonuses are at every stage,” he added.
Dikko noted that only daily allowances were requested in cash, which have already been settled. “The only cash request was daily allowances, and that has been sorted and made available,” he said. He also assured that match bonuses had been approved and are in the process of being paid out. “The bonuses have been approved. The process is ongoing and the money will come,” Dikko stated confidently.
Efforts by the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) are underway to ensure timely disbursement of funds. “The Ministry of Finance and CBN are on this, so everything will come on time,” Dikko added.
NAN reports that the Super Eagles have maintained an impressive record, winning all their matches thus far and scoring 12 goals on their path to the quarter-finals. Nigeria is set to face Algeria’s Desert Foxes for a spot in the semi-finals and is expected to depart F¨s for Marrakech on Thursday, ahead of the highly anticipated match at the Stade de Marrakech on Saturday at 5 p.m. (NAN)