Super Eagles captain, Wilfred Ndidi, has stepped into the centre of a raging bonus crisis rocking the senior national team, pledging to personally settle the team’s unpaid 2025 AFCON match bonuses if the delay drags on beyond Saturday.
With tensions rising ahead of Nigeria’s quarterfinal showdown against Algeria, Ndidi moved to calm nerves, insisting money issues must not derail the team’s focus or preparation.
“I’ve been pushing the team to train and play the game vs Algeria,” Ndidi told BBC journalist Oluwashina Okeleji. “I’ve been doing this since the second game. I’ve now made a commitment to the staff and players that I’ll personally pay the bonuses if the authority fails to before Saturday.”
The Super Eagles skipper doubled down on his promise, stressing that unpaid bonuses would not be allowed to distract the squad at a critical stage of the tournament.
“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.”
Ndidi’s vow comes even as the Minister of State for Finance, Mrs Doris Uzoka-Anite, announced that bottlenecks delaying the release of the bonuses have been cleared, with payments expected immediately or by Friday.
Meanwhile, the Super Eagles arrived in Marrakech on Thursday evening and are set to train as anticipation builds ahead of Saturday’s do-or-die quarterfinal clash against Algeria, with bonus drama still hanging in the air.
