Some Super Eagles players have denied reports of a bonus row within the squad ahead of Friday's quarter-final against Angola at the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.
There have been many instances in the past where the national team players have created issues with bonuses, whether within a major competition or during qualifiers.
Only recently, the federal government of Nigeria, through President Bola Tinubu, approved funding for the payment of owed allowances, match bonuses, coaches' salaries and funding for this competition.
Based on their pre-tournament agreement with the Football Federation, the Super Eagles will not be paid on a match-by-match basis. Still, they will be paid graduated qualification bonuses for each round they reach during the tournament, in addition to similarly earned bonuses based on their progression.
Omeruo dismisses Super Eagles bonus row
Stand-in captains William Troost-Ekong and Kenneth Omeruo are the two most senior players who have taken the armband outside of Ahmed Musa at AFCON 2024, and both denied having any confrontation over the situation.
According to ESPN, Omeruo stated unequivocally that “the report is a joke.”
“[Ahmed] Musa showed us at lunch and we laughed about it. There is no issue here in camp.
“We are focused on our game against Angola, believing that our monies will be paid. This squad is not the one to fight over money, otherwise, you would have heard that we refused to go to training even before the tournament.”
Afrik-foot can confirm that each player will receive $30,000 each for going past the first round of AFCON 2024 and will receive an additional $30,000 if they qualify for the final match of AFCON 2024 to be held on February 11 at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria will trade tackles with the Palancas Negras of Angola for the first time in an Africa Cup of Nations tournament with a semi-final spot up for grabs from 6pm Nigerian time on Friday inside the Félix Houphouët Boigny Stadium.
A delay with Super Eagles bonus payments
The delay being experienced over the disbursement of the funds includes backlogs of past match bonuses and, for this present tournament, can be attributed to the Central Bank of Nigeria following its due process to ensure that everyone is credited directly into their bank accounts.
However, they must follow a guide to ensuring that the process is a seamless one.
This delay has sparked a reaction from some sections of the Nigerian media. Some suggested that the players have been miffed with the arrangement made by team captain Musa, which doesn't necessarily back their stance on the issues.
Musa was accused of not representing their interests and threatening to take their case directly to higher authorities.
Also, speaking on the delay, the general secretary of the Nigerian Football Federation, Mohammed Sanusi, said the organization is working closely with the Central Bank of Nigeria to expedite the payments.
“The NFF is grateful to the CBN for the way and manner they have continued to expedite action on payment requests that we have sent to them with regards to this competition,” Sanusi said.
“We have not experienced any delays or complication of processes at the CBN this time, and we give kudos to them for their diligence and great sense of duty.”
