Unpaid bonuses: Super Eagles boycott AFCON training for quarter-final

Players and members of the technical crew stayed back at their hotel in Rabat, declining to take part in scheduled training sessions or travel to Marrakech for the knockout fixture.

The decision follows confirmation within the camp that match bonuses from four games against (Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Mozambique), remain unpaid.

The situation mirrors a similar incident in November 2025 during the 2026 FIFA World Cup African playoffs, when the team staged a training strike in Rabat less than 48 hours before a semi-final against Gabon.

That dispute, also linked to unpaid allowances, was resolved only after intervention by the National Sports Commission and NFF officials.

Nigeria’s team has been having strong showing at the tournament.

The Super Eagles topped Group C with victories over Tanzania, Tunisia and Uganda, scoring eight goals, before recording a 3–0 win over Mozambique in the round of 16.

Saturday’s quarter-final against Algeria is a rematch of the 2019 AFCON semi-final and is regarded as a key test in Nigeria’s push for a fourth continental title.