AFCON 2025
Oluwashina Okeleji, a BBC Africa journalist has revealed that the Nigeria Football Federation owe some members of the men’s senior football team, the Super Eagles match bonuses of over 30 matches.
Okeleji made this revelation following Super Eagles one-all draw against South Africa in Blomfontein on Tuesday evening.
According to him, a good number of the players are unmotivated not just because of the owed allowances but the unconducive conditions the football federation subject them during international matches.
He made these revelations to Ghanian journalist, Gary Al-Smith on Sporty FM Ghana Nigeria are close to missing out of a second consecutive FIFA World Cup.
Okeleji also bemoaned the lack of stability in the national team as the team doesn’t have a proper training center and move from hotels to hotels.
“…in Nigeria, you have players who have been unpaid their match bonuses going into 30 matches now. 30 matches, dating back to three years.”
“Yes. Sometimes these players are unmotivated, they are demotivated… they are not in a good frame of mind. All of this and the fact that Nigeria, as big a nation as Nigeria is, they only have a stadium in Uyo that is up to the FIFA and CAF standard in terms of hosting a match. This is Nigeria with over 20 stadiums scattered across the nation, only one is approved for international football. There’s no technical center where players train and all of that, they are moved from hotels to hotels, there’s no stability. The coaching selection as well, they’ve used over 50 players… in four matches, they’ve called up over 50 different players. I mean, how do you do that?”
