Super Eagles captain Wilfred Ndidi has shown incredible leadership by offering to personally pay the team’s unpaid match bonuses at the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco if the federal government does not release the funds before Saturday’s quarter-final clash with Algeria.
Speaking on Thursday, Ndidi told BBC journalist Oluwashina Okeleji that he wanted to make sure the bonus dispute would not disrupt the team’s preparations. “I’ve been encouraging the team to stay focused since the second game, and I’ve now assured both players and staff that I’ll cover the bonuses myself if the authorities fail to do so before Saturday,” he said.
Ndidi emphasized that the players’ focus and morale should not be affected by pending payments, highlighting his commitment to thee team’s performance and unity.
The statement comes amid concerns that some players and officials were considering boycotting travel to Marrakech or skipping training due to unpaid bonuses for the group-stage and round-of-16 matches.
In response, Ministerr of State for Finance, Doris Uzoka-Anite, confirmed that the federal government is fast-tracking the payments. She said all group-stage bonuses have already been released and cleared the necessary approvals, and future disbursements will now be more streamlined and timely.
“The government and the Central Bank of Nigeria have refined the process to ensure our players receive their payments without further delays,” she wrote on X, assuring fans that future bonus payments will follow a smoother and more predictable procedure
