Bonus Scandal: Nigeria Football Crisis Deepens As NFF Fails To Pay Super Eagles
- Nigerian football has been rocked by money scandal following new revelations that Super Eagles players have not been paid
- Nigeria suffered an excruciating blow in their bid to qualify for the FIFA World Cup after playing 1-1 against South Africa
- The Super Eagles will have to win their two matches and hope other results go their way in order to qualify for the World Cup
Nigeria’s push to return to the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 2018 is hanging by a thread, and now, another money scandal is rocking the team.
The Super Eagles could only manage a 1-1 draw against South Africa in Bloemfontein on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, to further tighten their chances of qualifying.
Source: Twitter
The night started badly when captain William Troost-Ekong deflected a cross into his own net after 25 minutes.
Calvin Bassey’s header just before half-time brought Nigeria level, but the goal drew protests from South African fans who believed there was a handball in the build-up.
With the draw, Bafana Bafana now lead Group C on 17 points and are just a step away from sealing their return to the World Cup since hosting the competition in 2010, as seen on FIFA.com.
Nigeria, on the other hand, are stuck on 11 points, and risk dropping out of the race for the World Cup depending on results elsewhere.
Their remaining two games against Lesotho and Benin are now must-win battles, but belief looks all but gone.
Payment scandal rocks NFF
As if results on the pitch were not troubling enough, a deeper crisis continues to haunt Nigerian football.
Source: Getty Images
The Super Eagles have gone nearly three years without receiving match bonuses, and the backlog covers as many as 30 games, according to Nigerian sports journalist Oluwashina Okeleji.
Speaking on Sporty FM on Wednesday, Okeleji explained how the situation has taken its toll on the players.
“You have players who have not been paid their match bonuses going into 30 matches, dating back to three years. These players sometimes are not in the right frame of mind,” he said.
According to Ghanaweb, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has previously received N17 billion from the federal government to settle outstanding bonuses, along with a $34 million grant from CAF.
Despite that, players are still waiting, and this scandal adds another layer of frustration to a qualification campaign already plagued by inconsistency.
Deeper cracks beyond money
The payment dispute is only one part of Nigeria’s football problems as Okeleji further pinpointed wider structural issues, noting that Nigeria currently has just one FIFA and CAF-approved stadium in Uyo.
There is also no technical centre where players can properly prepare.
For the Super Eagles, the immediate challenge remains on the pitch, but without serious reform off it, Nigeria’s return to the world stage looks more uncertain than ever.
Ex-minister reacts after World Cup setback
In another development. Legit.ng reported that former Minister for Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, has reacted as the Super Eagles are on the verge of missing out on the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
During his time, Nigeria qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, with Franco-German tactician Gernot Rohr in charge of the squad.
Source: Legit.ng
