Nigeria’s Super Eagles resumed full training in Rabat, Morocco, on Wednesday after settling their much-publicized bonus dispute with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
The development restores calm to the camp ahead of Thursday’s crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup African playoffs semi-final clash against Gabon.
The team’s media officer, Promise Efoghe, confirmed the breakthrough, announcing to journalists via the official team WhatsApp group: “Issues resolved. Super Eagles to train at 5 p.m.”
The session marked the squad’s return to the pitch after boycotting Tuesday’s training in protest of unpaid entitlements, a move that stirred nationwide debate about player welfare and the NFF’s management practices.
Head coach Eric Chelle’s men had initially trained with only 14 players on Monday, while Sevilla duo Akor Adams and Chidera Ejuke sat out the recovery drills. By Tuesday, frustration boiled over as the entire team, including technical staff, stayed away from training, citing “unresolved issues with outstanding payments,” according to a joint statement shared by BBC journalist Oluwashina Okeleji.
Reports from Morocco indicated that marathon negotiations were held between the players, NFF officials, and representatives of the National Sports Commission, leading to a compromise late Tuesday night.
Although the details of the resolution remain under wraps, NFF President Ibrahim Gusau moved quickly to clear the air on the matter. Speaking to Elegbete TV, Gusau dismissed claims that the federation owed players for as many as 30 matches.
“It’s not true that we have owed for 30 matches. After the AFCON last year, we met with the team leaders and cleared all outstanding payments. Any pending issue now only concerns the ongoing qualifiers,” Gusau explained.
He added that a new structure for player compensation was already in place: “We have an understanding with the National Sports Commission to handle appearance fees for the qualifiers. So it’s not about paying after every match anymore — the process is now more structured.”
With tensions diffused, the Super Eagles will hold their final tactical session later on Wednesday at the Complexe Sportif Prince Héritier Moulay Al Hassan in Rabat, the venue for Thursday’s semi-final showdown against Gabon, kicking off at 5pm.
The team now shifts focus from boardroom wrangling to the pitch, where victory will move Nigeria a step closer to securing a spot in the 2026 World Cup to be co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.