I’ll Pay Eagles’ Bonuses If FG Fails – Ndidi

Super Eagles captain Wilfred Ndidi has pledged to personally settle outstanding match bonuses for players and officials at the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco if the Federal Government does not pay before Saturday’s quarter-final against Algeria.

Ndidi made the commitment amid concerns within the team over unpaid bonuses for Nigeria’s group-stage matches and round-of-16 fixture. The situation had earlier raised fears of possible disruption to preparations, including reports of a potential boycott of training and travel.

According to BBC journalist Oluwashina Okeleji, Ndidi said he took the decision to prevent the issue from affecting the team’s focus.

“I’ve been pushing the team to train and play the game against Algeria. I’ve been doing this since the second game,” Ndidi was quoted as saying. “I’ve now made a commitment to the staff and players that I’ll personally pay the bonuses if the authorities fail to before Saturday.”

He added that his priority was to ensure a stable environment ahead of the crucial tie. “I don’t want these unpaid bonuses to affect our preparations. I told players and coaching staff that I’d personally make the payments if they don’t get it.”

Earlier on Thursday, the Federal Government, through the Minister of State for Finance, Doris Uzoka-Anite, assured that the delay in payments was being resolved. She said group-stage bonuses had already been released and cleared regulatory processes, while steps had been taken to prevent similar delays going forward.

“The Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria have successfully streamlined the foreign exchange processing to ensure our players are rewarded without further delay,” Uzoka-Anite stated in a post on X.

She explained that a fast-track conversion system had been introduced to move funds into foreign currency, in line with the players’ preferences, with final transfers to domiciliary accounts expected to reflect between Thursday and Friday.

The Super Eagles arrived in Marrakech on Thursday and held a training session ahead of Saturday’s quarter-final clash.

Nigeria are seeking a fourth AFCON title, having previously won the tournament in 1980, 1994 and 2013.