Chioma Phillips
The Nigerian Super Eagles crashing out of the African cup of Nations on Wednesd was influenced by NFF administrative failings that included poor payment arrangements affecting their morale, and biased referring .
Nigeria exited the African Cup of Nations on Wednesday, after a tense match ended in a draw after full time. The Super Eagles played well for much of the competition, but many observers felt they could have, and should have done much better. Disappointment and resentment among the Nigerian squad during the height of the tournament compromised the level of competence and efficiency during the quarter finals.
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However, Nigeria’s die hard fans are very angry and disappointed at the way their players left the competition, with many believing that an organised team managed well, and without administrative failings, would have done much better. Fans want the Nigerian Football Federation(NFF) to answer some important questions about the entire management of the Super Eagles team.
”Football is one sport that brings Nigerians together, despite our many complex issues, Taiwo Makinde, a 29 year old football fan told The Eye Of Media.Com. Bars in Nigeria were filled with passionate fans, most homes also had the games on their television screens. How could Nigerians be let down like this? Everybody was imagining and fantasising about the prospect of Nigeria winning the tournament. It is bad enough that Nigeria did not qualify for the world cup, but to exit the Afcon tournament in this manner was bad.
”That Ghanian referee was far too biased, He got the outcome he wanted. He should never be allowed to officiate a serious match again. I don’t understand what was going on, why our stars were not paid fully on time, and why our main players were not included in the penalty taking team against Morocco, Too many things went wrong, we need to learn a hard lesson’.
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There have been tough questions regarding some of the poor selections for penalty taking that excluded the Super Eagle’s top strikers like Alex Iwobi and Ademola Lookman, both of whom are the stand out players in the squad, The above two took penalties in the third and fourth place deciding match against Egypt, which saw the Super Eagles grab the third place.
The question asked by many Nigerian fans is why they were not made to step up against Morocco? Had they annoyed the coach or the powers that be in protests over the unreliable and delayed pay structure, for the team, to the extent that they were not allowed to take penalties, or did they just simply lose their nerve? This Super Eagles team was sone of the most capable in recent times, yet when the morale of an individual or team is disrupted badly, it can take a while to fully recover.
Yes, Nigeria beat Tunisia after matters were resolved, but very late payment is a symptom of other ills that must have been prevailing among the team.
The relationship between the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Super Eagles has long been defined by tension, mistrust, and recurring disputes over player welfare. Once again, that dynamic resurfaced during Nigeria’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations campaign.
During the 2025 African Cup of Nations in Morocco, players and coaching staff from the Super eagles threatened not to train and travel for their upcoming quarter final match against Algeria due to unfulfilled match bonuses and allowances from earlier round of 16 and group stage matches.
Furthermore, they had initially protested against the lack of available funds, defiantly refusing to train or travel, until the money was released.
Within less than 48 hours, the NFF with the aide of the Central Bank of Nigeria processed and released the bonuses and allowances to the players and coaches bank accounts. Once the payments were confirmed, the Super Eagle’s players and coaching staff resumed their preparations for their quarterfinal match against Algeria which resulted in a comfortable 2-0 victory.
This recent situation was another instalment in the series of the NFF over promising and under delivering about the super eagles. Uncertainty and anger is never good for the maximum performance of any sportsperson. let alone sports team.
The AFCON situation felt like Déjà vu, as the same behaviour perpetrated by both sides occurred during their World Cup qualifying campaign. A few days before their playoff match against DR Congo, the Super Eagles players refused to train due to unpaid match bonuses and allowances promised to them by the NFF.
However, the matter was resolved within 48 hours therefore reiterating a similar pattern that one must fight fire with fire in order to be taken seriously and given what they are owed when dealing with the NFF.
The Federation’s perspective is that disputes over player welfare are due to financial and administrative limitations rather than intentional negligence. The NFF have consistently claimed that the compliance with public sector financial regulations in Nigeria is what has caused the delay of players receiving their bonuses and allowances.
NFF officials have frequently stated the importance of maintaining authority, and consider the Super Eagles protests as amounting to undermining their control. In many instances the NFF has claimed that bonuses and allowances were being processed before protests and strikes from the Super Eagles took place.
Many critics say that handling such important matters last minute with the help of external bodies such as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) not only weakens their claims but raises eyebrows in regard to their management of finances and their transparency.
The Super Eagles, which is made up of a number of talented players, have been dogged by this problem for decades. They firmly believe that the NFF over promise and under deliver.
One notable example of this is about the 2002 World Cup were upon qualifying for the tournament the Super Eagles and the federation agreed that the $1 million awarded by FIFA would be shared evenly between the players and coaches and the federation.
Once the NFF received this amount they disbanded the Super Eagles squad. This account was shared by Sunday Oliseh when asked what took place behind the scenes. The Super Eagles also argue that non-financial obligations have not been fulfilled by the NFF such as travel and accommodation.
Fast forward to today-over two decades later- and the Nigerian national team is still blighted by lack of timely adequate funding; inevitably affecting their performance in big tournamenets.
Super eagles team is full of potential, but beset by institutional and administrative failings Image: Nigerian Football Federation
Another key example of this was during the 2016 Olympics in Brazil where Super Eagles captain John Mikel Obi claimed to have paid for the squad’s flight to Brazil and hotel accommodation due to disputes behind the scenes within the NFF.
Furthermore, he claimed that during his time playing for the Super Eagles there were many occasions where the hotels selected for player’s accommodation was of a poor standard, and he would have to pay with money from his own pocket to move the team to a more conducive hotel.
The lack of conducive infrastructure to an international standard such as football stadiums, training grounds to host the Super Eagles and a fixed venue for the accommodation of the players and coaching staff is further evidence of the claims of the Super Eagles and the failure of the NFF.
gSuper eagles starting XI ahead of their 2-0 quarter final win against Algeria led by captain Wilfred Ndidi (standing on the far right side)
Instability
Many critics believe that the disputes over player and coach payments have contributed to the instability and inconsistency of the super eagles both on and off the pitch. As the Super Eagles have failed to qualify for a World Cup since 2018 and failed to qualify for the upcoming edition in 2026 as they lost in their playoff match against DR Congo.
They also have not won a major tournament since 2013 when they won AFCON whilst the NFF have appointed 6 head coaches within this period. Many believe that the saying :“fail to prepare, prepare to fail” applies to the NFF and its treatment towards the Super
Issues such as not paying players and coaches on time, poor planning and lack of transparency have contributed towards the morale and underperformance of the Super Eagles.
There has been a mixed response in regards to the actions taken by the Super Eagles players as many believe that the players are simply fighting injustice, as the NFF forced and provoked this sort of response from the players due to their lack of fulfilling their initial promises and have consistently exhibited such behaviour with current and previous super eagles squads.
Meanwhile, others believe that there were more suitable ways of resolving matters and how they have gone to retrieve what they are owed is not only extreme but is embarrassing Nigeria as a country.
Financial Void
Many notable figures within Nigeria at times have temporarily filled the financial void made by the NFF, one of which being Abdul Samad Rabiu who is a Nigerian tycoon, billionaire, philanthropist and CEO of BUA Group who pledged to reward the Super Eagles with $500,000 if they win the 2025 AFCON semi-final game against Morocco and $50,000 per goal and if they win the final they shall receive $1 million plus $100,000 for each goal scored in the final.
It is safe to say Mr Rabiu would not be short of cash as the Super Eagles lost to Morocco on penalties. The performance by the Super Eagles was comfortably their worst performance of the tournament and their worst performance since the World Cup playoffs defeat against DR Congo when the first dispute between the NFF and the Super Eagles over match allowances and bonuses occurred.
This begs the question, did the dispute between the Super Eagles and the NFF contribute towards the underperformance of the Super Eagles?
Football is often a game of fine margins where psychology is very important, the Moroccan players potentially could have felt they had a mental edge over the super eagles as they may have felt that the Super Eagles not fully focused on the task ahead.
Although speculation on the impact this dispute had on the performance of the Super Eagles is all we have. However, with the weight of the nation on their shoulders, the full support of the footballing federation would have been helpful.
The Super Eagles–NFF clashes reveal a cycle of broken promises and poor management. Players’ frustration affects both morale and performance, while fans lose faith. Without timely payments, clear communication, and better planning, this mistrust will continue, leaving Nigeria’s national team short of its true potential and fans repeatedly disappointed.
The Nigerian Football Federation was contacted for comment.
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