Nigeria’s preparations for Thursday’s crucial World Cup qualifying play-off against Gabon have been thrown into further uncertainty as the Super Eagles’ training boycott entered its second day.
Team captain William Troost-Ekong confirmed the ongoing impasse in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, assuring fans that the players remain focused on “the big games ahead” despite the standoff.
He wrote “Once a resolution is found, we will be the first to confirm,”. “Any other statement, claim or demand other than the rightful request written about below is FALSE.”
Efforts to obtain official comments from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have so far been unsuccessful, as the federation has remained silent on the issue.
However, a reliable source within the NFF told Sports Village Square that the protest may have been sparked internally.
According to the source, some players were informed that funds had recently been released to the NFF by the National Sports Commission (NSC), but were warned that it might become difficult to pursue their financial entitlements after the play-off.
“The players had initially planned to boycott the last Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Rwanda in November last year, which they eventually lost in Uyo,”.
“That action was only averted by the prompt intervention of NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko, who flew into Uyo hours before the match.”
The source added that the outstanding payments include both long-standing claims dating back to 2019 and more recent entitlements.
Another insider in Rabat confirmed on Wednesday that the situation remains tense. If the Super Eagles fail to train again today, they risk losing the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the turf of the Complexe Sportif Prince Héritier Moulay El Hassan, the venue for the decisive clash with Gabon.
There are growing fears that, if unresolved, the crisis could escalate into a full-blown boycott of the match — a move that could see Nigeria disqualified from the World Cup qualifiers and face possible FIFA sanctions.
Meanwhile, a contingent of Nigerian supporters was airlifted to Rabat via Casablanca on Tuesday, reportedly under the sponsorship of the NSC. Additional officials and supporters are expected to depart on Thursday morning, pending the approval of their Moroccan visas.
