AFCON 2025 Crisis: Unpaid Bonuses Threaten Nigeria’s Quarter-Final Against Algeria
With just 48 hours until a critical Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final, Nigeria’s Super Eagles are on the brink of an unprecedented boycott. The team has threatened not to travel to Marrakech to face Algeria unless long-overdue match bonuses are paid, casting a dark shadow over one of the tournament’s most anticipated clashes.
A Crisis Over Unpaid Bonuses
A Recurring Crisis Comes to a Head
The immediate conflict stems from the Nigerian Football Federation’s (NFF) failure to pay bonuses for the team’s perfect group stage run—victories over Tanzania, Tunisia, and Uganda—and their emphatic 4-0 round of 16 win against Mozambique. In protest, the players have refused to train, bringing their AFCON 2025 preparations to a complete halt.
This is not an isolated incident but a symptom of a deep-seated, structural issue within Nigerian football. As recently as November 2025, during World Cup 2026 qualifiers, players staged a similar training boycott over unpaid allowances. While that dispute was resolved within hours, it established a dangerous precedent and revealed a pattern of financial mismanagement that now jeopardizes the nation’s continental campaign.
The NFF’s Response and Player Resolve
Facing intense pressure, the NFF has publicly stated that funds are in transit from the Central Bank of Nigeria and that payments will be made once banking processes are complete. However, this vague assurance has failed to placate the squad. Having heard similar promises before, the players are demanding concrete, visible guarantees—likely actual funds in accounts—before they resume football activities.
The players’ hardened stance is understandable. Competing at the highest level of African football requires immense physical and mental sacrifice. Unpaid bonuses are not merely a financial grievance; they represent a breach of trust and a lack of respect for the athletes’ professional commitment. This standoff places the Nigeria vs Algeria quarter-final in serious jeopardy.
The Nigerian Football Federation’s Response
A Pan-African Problem: The Systemic Issue of Player Payments
Nigeria’s crisis highlights a troubling, continent-wide challenge in African football administration. These disputes are sadly commonplace:
- Cameroon: Experienced major bonus boycotts during the 2002 and 2014 AFCON tournaments.
- Ghana: At the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the government had to airlift over $3 million in cash to Brazil to resolve a player payment dispute before a crucial match.
- Other Nations: Similar incidents have plagued teams like Togo and Zimbabwe during major competitions.
This recurring theme points to a fundamental disconnect. Despite the Confederation of African Football (CAF) allocating substantial participation and prize money for AFCON 2025, federations often struggle with cash flow, bureaucratic delays, and, in some cases, alleged mismanagement, preventing funds from reaching the players in a timely manner.
Contrasting Camps: Algerian Serenity vs. Nigerian Turmoil
The situation creates a stark contrast between the two quarter-finalists. The Algerian national team, the Fennec Foxes, approaches the match undefeated and with their camp reportedly focused solely on tactics and recovery. Meanwhile, Nigeria’s camp is consumed by a financial standoff that disrupts training, damages morale, and distracts from the monumental sporting challenge ahead.
Pressure Mounts Before the Match Against Algeria
Broader Implications for Nigerian Football
The stakes extend far beyond a single match. A boycott would be a historic low for Nigerian football, damaging the nation’s reputation, disappointing millions of fans, and potentially leading to sanctions from CAF. Even if the match proceeds under a last-minute settlement, the psychological damage and lack of preparation could severely hamper performance against a top-tier opponent like Algeria.
This crisis serves as a urgent call for reform. It underscores the need for the NFF to implement transparent, automated payment systems tied directly to competition milestones, and to foster a professional relationship with its players built on reliability, not recurrent crisis management.
The question now is whether Nigerian football authorities can resolve this bonus payment crisis in time to save their AFCON dream, or if this internal failure will result in a forfeited match and a tarnished legacy.