Stop putting financial pressure on players, NSC pleads with Nigerian fans in Morocco

The Minister of State for Finance, Dr Doris Nkiruka Uzoka-Anite, has cleared the air concerning the delay in the payment of allowances for players and officials of the Super Eagles at the ongoing 35th Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

There were reports on Wednesday that the players had threatened to boycott their quarter-final match against Algeria on Saturday over delays in the payment of their camp allowances and winning bonuses.
The Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Mallam Shehu Dikko, had earlier revealed to The Guardian during an interview conducted in Rabat, Morocco, that the delay in the disbursement of the Super Eagles’ intervention fund was a result of structural changes within the Ministry of Finance, adding that the situation was neither deliberate nor limited to the sports sector.

However, the Minister of State for Finance, Dr Uzoka-Anite, explained yesterday that everything concerning the payments has now been successfully streamlined to ensure that the players are rewarded without further delay.
In a message made available to The Guardian yesterday, Dr Uzoka-Anite said: “I am pleased to provide an update on the administrative progress regarding the match bonuses for our national team at AFCON 2025.

“The Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) have successfully streamlined the foreign exchange processing to ensure our players are rewarded without further delay.
“Going forward, the process will be fully streamlined to ensure faster, more predictable disbursements aligned with international best practice.”

Providing details on the progress made so far, the minister said that all group-stage bonuses had been fully released and had cleared the necessary regulatory stages.
She added that a fast-track conversion process had been implemented to move funds into foreign currency in line with the players’ preferences, while the final transfers to domiciliary accounts were currently in progress, with players expected to see the funds reflected from Wednesday or Thursday.

“Our focus remains entirely on supporting the team’s welfare so they can maintain their incredible momentum in the knockout rounds. We move forward with one goal: bringing the trophy home,” the minister stated.
Meanwhile, a top official of the NSC has blamed financial pressure from some Nigerians currently in Morocco for the AFCON as the reason behind the players’ alleged threat to boycott the quarter-final match.

“There is nothing like players threatening to boycott the quarter-final match. They trained in Fes on Wednesday, and as we speak, the Super Eagles will depart for Marrakechi by 12 noon today (Thursday).
“The players are under serious pressure from some Nigerian fans at the moment, who are seeking one financial favour or another. And once the players respond that they have not been paid, they (fans or journalists) will go to town with all manner of stories. They should allow the players to concentrate on why we are here,” the official said.