'It’s not true' - NFF President Ibrahim Gusau denies owing Super Eagles 30-Match bonus backlog

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Ibrahim Gusau has firmly denied widespread claims that the federation owes the Super Eagles a massive backlog of unpaid match bonuses spanning approximately 30 games.

In an interview with Elegbete TV, Gusau clarified that the NFF had settled all outstanding payments owed to the team and implemented a new financial structure for the ongoing 2026 World Cup qualification campaign.

The clarification follows reports that the Super Eagles boycotted a training session in Rabat, Morocco, on Tuesday ahead of their crucial World Cup African playoff semi-final against Gabon.

The protest, reportedly over unpaid bonuses dating back to 2019, threatened to derail Nigeria’s preparations.

However, both parties reached an agreement on Wednesday, allowing the team to resume full training at the Complexe Sportif Prince Heritier Moulay Al Hassan.

The winner of Thursday’s clash between Nigeria and Gabon will advance to face either DR Congo or Cameroon for a spot in the intercontinental playoffs.

Initial reports suggested players were demanding $15,000 each for the playoff fixtures, while the NFF had proposed $10,000. Team captain William Troost-Ekong later dispelled those claims, urging focus on the decisive matches ahead.

“Once a resolution is found, we will be the first to confirm. Any other statement or claim about demands is false. All we want is to focus on the big games ahead,” Troost-Ekong said.

Addressing the controversy, Gusau emphasised that the alleged “30-match debt” narrative was false.

“It’s not true that we have owed for 30 matches,” he stated.

The NFF president explained that the federation had taken proactive measures after the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations to avoid recurring payment disputes.

“Immediately after the AFCON last year, we sat down with the team leaders and negotiated. I told them I didn’t want us to enter the World Cup qualifiers with any financial issues. We agreed to start on a clean slate,” Gusau said.

According to him, all previous debts were cleared before the qualifiers began.

“If there’s any outstanding, it has to do only with the qualifiers. It’s not an issue of paying after every match. We agreed that once we qualify, they will receive a specific amount of money,” he added.

Gusau also revealed that under the new structure, players now receive appearance fees per match, an arrangement approved by the National Sports Commission.

Following the brief standoff, the Super Eagles now have just one full-squad training session before facing Gabon in Rabat. The team is determined to secure progression to the intercontinental playoffs and avoid missing a second consecutive FIFA World Cup.