Nigeria captain William Troost-Ekong breaks silence over unpaid bonuses after training boycott

Nigeria captain William Troost-Ekong has broken his silence amid growing tension surrounding the Super Eagles team ahead of their key 2026 World Cup playoff against Gabon.

Players and officials of the Super Eagles boycotted training on Tuesday over unpaid bonuses, undermining their preparation for the high-stake playoff.

The Super Eagles takes on Gabon on Thursday, November 13 at the Prince Moulay El Hassan Sports Complex in Rabat, while Cameroon battle it out with DR Congo.The winners will compete on November 16 for a spot in the intercontinental playoffs.

Having boycotted training on Tuesday, captain Troost-Ekong insists the situation remains unresolved, while urging fans to stay calm.

“Once a resolution is found, we will be the first to confirm. Any other statement, claim, or especially demands other than the rightful request written about below is FALSE. All we want and continue to do is focus on the big games ahead.” He wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

With the game scheduled for Thursday, the Super Eagles now race against time to raise a team for the crucial game today.

Nigeria missed out on automatic World Cup qualification after falling short to South Africa in the qualification series. The Super Eagles must triumph in the mini-tournament in Morocco before the final playoff next year.

Having missed the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the Super Eagles will be hoping to secure qualification to the mundial next year.