Nigeria’s preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup play-off has been thrown into disarray as players and technical staff boycotted training on Tuesday, just two days before their decisive clash against Gabon in Morocco.
The protest stems from longstanding unpaid allowances and match bonuses, with the squad reportedly demanding a special play-off bonus from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) before taking the field.
The standoff has raised serious concerns about team morale ahead of the semi-final fixture scheduled for Thursday (16:00 GMT) at the Moulay Hassan Stadium in Rabat.
Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong confirmed the development on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), saying:
“Once resolution is found, we will be the first to confirm. All we want and continue to do is focus on the big games ahead.”
While the NFF has not yet issued an official response, inside sources told BBC Sport Africa that urgent talks are underway to resolve the crisis.
Reports suggest that the financial dispute includes outstanding allowances from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers as well as the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
The boycott has triggered widespread criticism from Nigerian fans, who are calling on the football federation to address the issue swiftly to avoid further distractions.
Nigeria must defeat Gabon to keep their World Cup dream alive. The winners of Thursday’s encounter will face either Cameroon or DR Congo in Sunday’s African play-off final, which determines who advances to the intercontinental qualifier set for March 2026.
That final six-team tournament will ultimately decide two African representatives for the global showpiece to be hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States.