Aiyegbeni Explains How Oliseh, Okocha Tackled Match Bonuses During Their Playing Days, Video
- Former Nigeria international Yakubu Aiyegbeni has shared how the previous tackled issues surrounding their allowances, bonuses, and flight tickets
- The current crop of Nigerian players embarked on a protest during the 2026 FIFA World Cup playoff in Morocco
- The Super Eagles eventually failed to qualify for the Mundial for the second consecutive time after the 2022 edition
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Former Super Eagles star Yakubu Aiyegbeni has recounted his experiences with past Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) administrations regarding unpaid entitlements.
He spoke against the backdrop of Nigerian players boycotting training in protest over unpaid allowances during the 2026 FIFA World Cup playoff.
The players alleged that the NFF owes them allowances spanning 31 matches since 2019. Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle is facing a similar situation, as the football body has reportedly not paid his salary for two months.
Source: Getty Images
The National Sports Commission claimed that funds were released to the NFF to clear the backlog of bonuses before the crucial playoff, per ESPN.
However, NFF President Ibrahim Gusau has strongly denied the allegations, insisting that the federation owes no outstanding debts to the Super Eagles.
Aiyegbeni explains how ex-Super Eagles stars handle NFF
Former Super Eagles player Yakubu Aiyegbeni has commended the patience of the current senior men’s national team players despite the treatment meted out to them by the NFF.
In a viral post on X, the former Middlesbrough star explained that former Super Eagles captain Sunday Oliseh, Kanu Nwankwo and Austin Jay Jay Okocha always demand for their entitlements before the commencement of any match.
The three-time AFCON bronze medallist said failure to comply with the demands of their leaders results in strike action. Aiyegbeni via Bet9ja Home Turf:
"I think this crop of players are nice guys, you can't play 31 games for how many years and don't get paid but still play for the country. When you have players like Sunday Oliseh, Kanu Nwankwo and Jay Jay Okocha, no chance they will go on strike.
Source: Getty Images
"When we come to the national team Oliseh will inform the NFF that if we don't get our ticket money and daily allowances before the match, we will not play. The money will come out, so no be new thing we don dey for so many years."
Legit.ng compiled the reactions of fans following Yakubu Aiyegbeni's revelation. Read them below:
@Salih9t6 said:
"We've got everything wrong in this country. that word, that we got our independence too early now makes sense to me now."
@Atobajaye25 wrote:
"I’ve been saying this for a long time, and it’s good to see former players speaking up as well. The corrupt NFF board needs to go; the level of rot in that body is too much. They should be disbanded."
@DokiWada added:
"For those of us old enough to remember, the last time there was sanity in our football was under Sani Abacha. . it's no surprise that it also coincided with our peak achievements. Since then, it's been corruption galore with very little to show for it."
@nonso_r said:
"Oliseh was truly a stand-up captain. The best captain any group could as for."
NFF identifies ring leaders
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has reportedly identified five players believed to have instigated their teammates to boycott training ahead of the World Cup play-off against Gabon on November 13.
A top NFF official stated that no decision has been made to penalise the players.
Source: Legit.ng
