Nigeria's Super Eagles have successfully travelled from their base in Fès to Marrakech, the designated venue for their crucial Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) quarter-final encounter against Algeria, scheduled for Saturday. This relocation follows the official confirmation from the Nigerian government regarding the disbursement of outstanding match-winning bonuses, an issue that had previously been stalled by administrative and foreign exchange challenges.

Reports on Wednesday indicated a significant potential crisis, as the team, under the guidance of coach Eric Chelle, had reportedly threatened to boycott training sessions and their journey to Marrakech. This threat stemmed directly from the non-payment of bonuses owed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). The situation drew prompt intervention from the government.

Mrs. Doris Uzoka-Anite, the Minister of State for Finance, made a public announcement yesterday via her official X (formerly Twitter) account, confirming that the Federal Government, in close collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), had effectively resolved the earlier foreign exchange processing difficulties. This resolution was critical to ensuring the prompt and unhindered payment of the players' entitlements.

The Minister elaborated on the administrative progress, stating, "I am pleased to provide an update on the administrative progress regarding the match bonuses for our national team at AFCON 2025. The Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria have successfully streamlined the foreign exchange processing to ensure our players are rewarded without further delay." She further confirmed that all group-stage bonuses had been fully released, cleared all necessary regulatory stages, and the final transfers to the players' accounts were already in progress.

To accommodate the players' preference for foreign currency payments, a specialized fast-track conversion process was introduced. Mrs. Uzoka-Anite affirmed, "We have implemented a fast-track conversion process to move funds into foreign currency, honouring the players' preferences." She reassured that the final disbursements to the players' domiciliary accounts were currently underway and were expected to reflect within a day or two: "The final transfers to domiciliary accounts are currently in flight. Players can expect these funds to reflect starting today or tomorrow."

Looking ahead, the Minister also highlighted that robust measures have been established to prevent any future delays in the payment of players' entitlements. She stated, "Going forward, the process will be fully streamlined to ensure faster, more predictable disbursements aligned with international best practice." Reaffirming the government's unwavering commitment to the welfare of the national team, she emphasized that the primary focus remains on enabling the Super Eagles to maintain their peak performance as the tournament progresses into its decisive knockout stages. "Our focus remains entirely on supporting the team's welfare so they can maintain their incredible momentum in the knockout rounds," she said, adding a resolute declaration, "We move forward with one goal: bringing the trophy home."

Reportedly invigorated and buoyed by the positive news of their winning bonuses being disbursed, the players and officials departed from Fès to Marrakech yesterday at 12 pm, ahead of their highly anticipated quarter-final clash with Algeria's 'Fennecs'. This incident, however, is not an isolated one, as previous bonus disputes have plagued Nigerian football, with a similar protest over World Cup qualifying bonuses reportedly contributing to the team's failure to secure a World Cup spot against DR Congo in Morocco in a past instance.