The Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, has said all outstanding financial entitlements of Super Eagles players and officials have been approved and payment processes are currently ongoing.
Dikko spoke on Thursday following reports that players of the national team threatened to boycott training sessions and delay their trip to Marrakech ahead of Saturday’s Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final clash against Algeria.
According to him, President Bola Tinubu approved the entire AFCON 2025 budget as far back as November 2025, insisting that there is no disagreement between the National Sports Commission, the Nigeria Football Federation and the players.
“The president approved the entire AFCON budget on November 14, 2025. From our end, the funding has been fully cleared,” Dikko said.
He explained that while the funds had been approved, processing the payments takes time, stressing that the players were already aware of this.
“Approving the money is one thing, processing it is another, but the players know the funds have been approved,” he added.
Dikko disclosed that meetings were held before the tournament with officials of the NFF, the team captain, co-captain and other senior players to clearly agree on bonuses and entitlements.
“We sat down, negotiated and agreed on what the players are entitled to up to the final. Everybody is clear,” he said.
He noted that the players understood and accepted their incentive structure before the competition kicked off.
“The players know exactly what they are playing for and what their bonuses are at every stage,” Dikko stated.
The NSC chairman further clarified that only daily allowances were requested in cash and those had already been paid.
“The only cash request was daily allowances, and that has been sorted and made available,” he said.
He added that match bonuses had been fully approved and were now being processed for payment.
“The bonuses have been approved. The process is ongoing and the money will come,” Dikko assured.
He said the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of Nigeria were working together to ensure the funds reach the players without delay.
“The Ministry of Finance and CBN are on this, so everything will come on time,” he said.
The Super Eagles have been impressive at the tournament, winning all their matches so far and scoring 12 goals to reach the quarter-finals.
Nigeria are scheduled to depart Fès for Marrakech on Thursday ahead of their highly anticipated clash against Algeria’s Desert Foxes at the Stade de Marrakech on Saturday by 5 pm, with a place in the semi-finals at stake.
