The Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, has dismissed reports of a possible boycott by Super Eagles players, insisting that all financial entitlements for players and officials have been resolved.
Dikko’s clarification follows media reports suggesting that members of the national team had threatened to skip training and travel plans to Marrakech ahead of Saturday’s AFCON 2025 quarter-final clash against Algeria.
Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Dikko revealed that President Bola Tinubu approved the Super Eagles’ full AFCON 2025 budget as far back as November 14, 2025, bringing alignment between the NSC, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), and the players.
“The president approved the entire AFCON budget on Nov. 14, 2025. From our end, the funding has been fully cleared,” Dikko said.
He explained that while budget approval and actual fund disbursement are separate processes, players have been fully informed of the status of their payments.
“Approving the money is one thing, processing it is another, but the players know the funds have been approved,” he added.
According to the NSC boss, extensive meetings were held with the NFF, team captain, co-captain, and senior players before the tournament to agree on bonuses up to the final stage.
“We sat down, negotiated and agreed on what the players are entitled to up to the final. Everybody is clear,” Dikko stated.
He stressed that the players accepted the agreed incentives before the competition began and are fully aware of what is due to them at every stage of the tournament.
“The players know exactly what they are playing for and what their bonuses are at every stage,” he said.
Dikko further clarified that the only payments requested in cash were daily allowances, which have already been settled.
“The only cash request was daily allowances, and that has been sorted and made available,” he confirmed.
Match bonuses, he added, have been approved and are currently undergoing payment processing, with assurances that disbursement will be completed promptly.
“The bonuses have been approved. The process is ongoing and the money will come,” he assured, noting that both the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) are involved in ensuring timely payment.
Meanwhile, the Super Eagles have enjoyed an impressive AFCON 2025 campaign so far, winning all their matches and scoring 12 goals en route to the quarter-finals.
Nigeria will face Algeria’s Desert Foxes in a highly anticipated encounter for a place in the semi-finals. The team is expected to depart Fès for Marrakech on Thursday ahead of Saturday’s showdown at the Stade de Marrakech, scheduled for 5 p.m.
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