The Nigerian national team, the Super Eagles, has resumed training after the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) settled all outstanding bonuses and allowances.
Captain William Troost-Ekong announced that the Super Eagles have resumed training on Wednesday.
Taking to his verified X handle on Wednesday, Troost-Ekong said the team will now concentrate on Thursday’s crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup CAF qualifier against Gabon.
“Issue RESOLVED. Outstanding financials cleared and on the ground. Team is UNITED and focused as before on representing NIGERIA with our maximum for the games ahead!” Ekong’s post read.
Earlier on Tuesday, Ekong had revealed that the team boycotted training in protest over the unpaid allowances and bonuses.
He said that the players had not made any extra demands beyond the settlement of their entitlements.
He said: “Once a resolution is found, we will be the first to confirm.
“Any other statement/claim or eSPECIALly demands other than the rightful request written about below is FALSE.
“All we want and continue to do is focus on the big games ahead
However, NFF president, Ibrahim Gusau, in an interview released on Wednesday, has clarified the bonus row.
“It’s not true that we have owed for 30 matches. Immediately after the AFCON last year, we sat down with the leaders of the team and we negotiated.
“So, before we came back to this year’s qualifiers, we reached an agreement with them and everything was cleared. So, if there is any outstanding we have with the Super Eagles, it has to do with the qualifiers, and these qualifiers we are playing, we, the NFF and the National Sports Commission, have reached an agreement with them. It’s not an issue of after the match we give you a match bonus, let’s go if we qualify, we are giving you so so amount of money.
“So, it’s not an issue of after every match; this is the match bonus we are going to give you, and they agreed. So anytime they are coming now, we just give them an appearance fee, which we have been doing through the National Sports Commission,” Gusau told the press.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that after the Super Eagles resumed training, the team is now focused on the World Cup qualifying match against Gabon scheduled for Thursday at 4 p.m. in Rabat, Morocco.
The winner will advance to the play-off final to face either Cameroon or the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Coach Eric Chelle invited 24 players for the match, weeks after Nigeria made the play-offs with a 4-0 thumping of neighbours, the Benin Republic.
Players confirmed to be in camp in Morocco include Calvin Bassey, Alex Iwobi, Samuel Chukwueze, Tolu Arokodare, Olakunle Olusegun, Wilfred Ndidi, Moses Simon, William Troost-Ekong, Benjamin Fredericks, and Chidozie Awaziem.
Others are Amas Obasogie, Stanley Nwabali, Semi Ajayi, Ademola Lookman, Akor Adams, Chidera Ejuke, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Raphael Onyedika, Zaidu Sanusi, Frank Onyeka, Alhassan Yusuf, Bruno Onyemaechi, and Victor Osimhen.
