Top Nigerian politician Peter Obi slams government over unpaid Super Eagles bonuses

Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has taken a swipe at the federal government over unpaid bonuses to the Super Eagles ahead of key 2026 World Cup playoff.

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

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.

However, Peter Obi, has expressed his disappointment in the Nigerian government over the unpaid allowances to the players, while urging authorities to quickly resolve the matter and ensure players are treated with dignity.

“We always seem to find money to waste on needless lavish spending and political patronage, yet we cannot pay those who patriotically raise our flag… That is what is found in a now disgraced country”

“When those who serve their country are not treated with dignity, it sends the wrong message to our youth… We must do better,” Obi wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

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

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.