AFCON 2025: Wilfred Ndidi Vows to Pay Super Eagles’ Unpaid Bonuses If Government Fails
Super Eagles captain Wilfred Ndidi has pledged to personally cover outstanding match bonuses for players and officials at the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco if the Federal Government does not fulfil the payments before Saturday’s quarter-final clash with Algeria.
Ndidi made the commitment in comments shared by BBC journalist Oluwashina Okeleji on Thursday, despite assurances from the Federal Government that the funds would be released between Thursday and Friday.
“I have been encouraging the team to stay focused and continue training for the Algeria game. I’ve been doing this since our second match,” Ndidi said. “I have now assured the players and staff that I will personally pay the bonuses if the authorities fail to do so before Saturday.”
He stressed that financial distractions must not affect the team’s performance, noting that he does not want unresolved bonus issues to disrupt preparations.
Reports had earlier surfaced that players and officials were considering refusing to travel to Marrakech or attend training sessions over unpaid bonuses for their group-stage matches and the round of 16.
In response, the Minister of State for Finance, Doris Uzoka-Anite, announced that group-stage bonuses had been released and had passed all regulatory approvals. She added that new measures had been introduced to prevent further delays.
According to her, the Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria have streamlined foreign exchange processes to ensure timely payments, with transfers to players’ domiciliary accounts already underway and expected to reflect between Thursday and Friday.
The Super Eagles arrived in Marrakech on Thursday and trained ahead of Saturday’s quarter-final against Algeria. Nigeria are chasing a fourth AFCON title, having previously won the tournament in 1980, 1994, and 2013.
