Barely two days to the crucial 2026 World Cup African Playoff clash with Gabon, Nigeria’s Super Eagles have boycotted training in Rabat, Morocco over outstanding bonuses and allowances.
They were protesting long-standing unpaid bonuses and allowances running to over two years.
In a statement purportedly signed by all players and coaching staff, the team said: “The full squad, including officials, withheld from training today in Morocco because of unresolved issues with outstanding payments. The Super Eagles are awaiting a quick resolution to continue their preparations for Thursday’s game against Gabon. Thank you. From the players.”
It was a repeat of what happened in 2014 in Brazil when a similar boycott led to Nigeria failing to go beyond the Round of 16 of the World Cup as France easily defeated the feuding Eagles in Brasilia, the political capital of the South American nation.
The Super Eagles players and officials refused to leave their rooms for the Wednesday training.
In a video posted on Instagram, Suleiman showed the empty Macopolo bus parked in front of the team’s Rive Hotel.
Yesterday was supposed to be the first time in which Head Coach, Eric Chelle, would have the full compliments of all the players at training.
Only Maduka Okoye had not arrived the team base as at 4pm on Wednesday evening.
Camp sources revealed that there was consensus amongst the players to boycott the training.
They were believed to have informed the head coach of their decision not to attend the training earlier fixed for between 4 and 6pm.
Chelle, the Malian coach employed in January to replace the Nigerian Finidi George, has himself not been paid his $55,000 monthly salaries for September and October.
Sources said the outstanding bonuses are for both the qualifying campaigns for the 2025 AFCON as well as the 2026 World Cup grossing over $100,000 per player.
“The players have only received $1,000 allowance for all the matches played despite the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) receiving full payments for both the Lesotho and Benin Republic matches from the NSC,” stressed the top official.
Calls to the mobile phone of the NFF’s Director of Communication, Dr Ademola Olajire, went unanswered.
The Federation too has not made any official statement on the situation in Eagles camp in Rabat.
The Super Eagles are billed to tackle Gabon on Thursday in a 2026 World Cup Playoff with the winner up against the winner of the other Playoffs between DR Congo and Cameroon to determine Africa’s representatives at the Intercontinental Playoffs in March next year.
As of Tuesday night, officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), including Communications Director Ademola Olajire and Super Eagles media officer Promise Efoghe, had yet to issue an official statement.
The Nigerian camp currently has 23 players in Morocco, including captain William Troost-Ekong, forwards Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Moses Simon, Chidera Ejuke, Samuel Chukwueze, and Alex Iwobi; defenders Calvin Bassey, Semi Ajayi, Zaidu Sanusi, Chidozie Awaziem, Benjamin Frederick, and Bright Osayi-Samuel; as well as midfielders Wilfred Ndidi, Frank Onyeka, Raphael Onyedika, and Alhassan Yusuf.
Goalkeeper Maduka Okoye was the last player expected to arrive in camp later in the evening.
The Super Eagles had conducted their first full training session on Monday with 14 players as head coach Eric Chelleintensified tactical drills for the decisive encounter. Sevilla striker Akor Adams and winger Chidera Ejuke missed that session, while African Footballer of the Year Ademola Lookmanjoined later to bolster the team’s attack.
Nigeria’s camp officially opened on Sunday at the Rive Hotel in Rabat, with all coaching staff present to receive the early arrivals.
