…Super Eagles to depart Fes for Marrakesh today
The Federal Government has confirmed that match bonus payments owed to the Super Eagles players and coaching staff at the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations are now at an advanced stage of disbursement.
This update comes a day after reports revealed that members of the national team were yet to receive their bonuses for AFCON 2025 matches and had threatened to boycott their scheduled travel from Fez, venue of their group-stage and Round of 16 fixtures, to Marrakech, where they are expected to face Algeria in the quarter-final.
The situation had thrown the country into uncertainty, reviving memories of the Super Eagles’ recent strike action during the World Cup qualifiers in Morocco in November, with many football fans believing the disruption contributed to the team’s failure to progress.
Providing clarity on the situation, the Minister of State for Finance, Hon. (Dr) Doris Nkiruka Uzoka-Anite, disclosed via her official X (formerly Twitter) account that key administrative bottlenecks had been resolved through collaboration between the Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
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According to the minister, the foreign exchange processing required for the payments has now been successfully streamlined to ensure players are rewarded without further delay.
“I am pleased to provide an update on the administrative progress regarding the match bonuses for our national team at AFCON 2025,” Uzoka-Anite stated on X on Thursday morning.
“The Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) have successfully streamlined the foreign exchange processing to ensure our players are rewarded without further delay.”
She further explained that reforms have been introduced to prevent similar delays in the future, aligning Nigeria’s payment processes with international best practices.
“Going forward, the process will be fully streamlined to ensure faster, more predictable disbursements aligned with international best practice.”
Detailing the current status of the payments, the minister confirmed that all group-stage bonuses have been fully released and cleared through the required regulatory stages. She added that a fast-track conversion process has been implemented to convert funds into foreign currency, in line with the players’ preferences.
Crucially, Uzoka-Anite revealed that the final transfers to players’ domiciliary accounts are already underway.
“The final transfers to domiciliary accounts are currently in flight. Players can expect these funds to reflect starting today or tomorrow.”
Reaffirming the government’s commitment to the Super Eagles, the finance minister stressed that player welfare remains a top priority as the team continues its push in the knockout stages.
“Our focus remains entirely on supporting the team’s welfare so they can maintain their incredible momentum in the knockout rounds. We move forward with one goal: Bringing the trophy home!”
Nigeria’s Super Eagles are currently competing in the latter stages of AFCON 2025, with hopes high that off-field issues will no longer distract from their quest for continental glory.
According to reports in Morocco, the team is expected to arrive in Marrakesh on Thursday as they continue their preparation for the quarter-final clash against Morocco on Saturday.
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