Super Eagles vow not to play Gabon over unpaid allowances
Nigeria’s senior national football team, the Super Eagles, threatened not to play their semi‑final match against Gabon national football team in the 2026 2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifier Play‑off unless their outstanding allowances and bonuses were cleared.
The boycott emerged after the players and officials refused to train on Tuesday in Rabat, Morocco, in protest over years of unpaid allowances owed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). Some of these payments reportedly date back to 2019 and include bonuses for previous competitions and qualifiers.
Sources indicated the players insisted the match preparations could not proceed until their demands were addressed, thereby putting the scheduled clash against Gabon on jeopardy.
Negotiations followed, and by Wednesday the Super Eagles announced that the issue had been “resolved” and the team would return to training ahead of the fixture. Captain William Troost‑Ekong confirmed the team was “as before focused on the games ahead”.
