RABAT, Morocco — Nigeria’s senior men’s football team, the Super Eagles, are set to return to training after boycotting a scheduled session on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, over unpaid allowances owed by the Nigeria Football Federation.
The players and officials had refused to take part in their evening training session, citing outstanding payments for their qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and for participation in the 2026 World Cup playoff.
The dispute briefly disrupted the team’s preparations for Thursday’s crucial semi-final fixture against Gabon in the African World Cup playoff series.
On Wednesday, November 12, 2025, Promise Efoghe, the team’s media officer, announced that the impasse had been settled.
Efoghe said the matter had been “resolved” and confirmed that the team would resume training by 5 p.m.
He did not disclose the details of the negotiations or the terms agreed upon by the players and football administrators.
In a message posted on X, team captain William Troost-Ekong also confirmed that the disagreement had ended, noting that the squad was now focused on its objectives.
“The issues have been addressed and players are, as before, focused on the games ahead,” Troost-Ekong wrote.
The brief protest underscored ongoing concerns about administrative lapses in Nigerian football, where delays in player payments have periodically caused disruptions.
Although the NFF has not issued an official statement, the swift resolution appeared aimed at preventing further distraction ahead of one of the team’s most significant matches in recent months.
The Super Eagles face Gabon on Thursday in one of the semi-final fixtures for the 2026 African World Cup playoffs.
The winner will advance to the final, where they will meet either Congo DR or Cameroon.
Only one team from this playoff series will secure Africa’s slot at the intercontinental playoff — the last hurdle in the qualification pathway for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
With the boycott resolved, the Eagles are expected to resume full preparations as they seek to maintain momentum and edge closer to securing a place on football’s biggest stage.
