The Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, has assured that all financial entitlements of the Super Eagles’ players and officials have been fully resolved.
Dikko’s comments came amid reports that some players threatened to boycott training and travel to Marrakech for Saturday’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 clash against Algeria.
The NSC chairman revealed that President Bola Tinubu had approved the Super Eagles’ AFCON 2025 budget as far back as November 2025, ensuring alignment between the NSC, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), and the players.
“The president approved the entire AFCON budget on November 14th, 2025. From our end, the funding has been fully cleared,” Dikko said.
He clarified that approval and processing are separate stages but reassured players that the funds had been approved and were being released.
“Approving the money is one thing, processing it is another, but the players know the funds have been approved,” he added.
Dikko also disclosed that meetings were held with the NFF, team captain, co-captain, and senior players to finalise tournament bonuses.
“We sat down, negotiated and agreed on what the players are entitled to up to the final. Everybody is clear,” he said.
He emphasised that players understood their incentives and had accepted the terms before the tournament began.
“The players know exactly what they are playing for and what their bonuses are at every stage. The only cash request was daily allowances, and that has been sorted and made available,” Dikko stated.
“The bonuses have been approved. The process is ongoing and the money will come. The Ministry of Finance and CBN are on this, so everything will come on time.”
The Super Eagles have won all their matches so far, scoring 12 goals en route to the quarter-finals.
Nigeria will face Algeria’s Desert Foxes for a semi-final spot, departing Fès for Marrakech on Thursday ahead of the blockbuster encounter at Stade de Marrakech on Saturday at 5pm (WAT).
