Bonuses row: Blame NFF, not Super Eagles-Kpakor
A former Super Eagles player, Moses Kpakor, has said there is nothing wrong with the decision of the current squad to boycott training over unpaid bonuses a few hours to their crucial 2026 World Cup playoff match against the Panthers of Gabon. Preparations for Thursday’s decisive 2026 FIFA World Cup playoff match hit a serious […]
Moses Kpakor
A former Super Eagles player, Moses Kpakor, has said there is nothing wrong with the decision of the current squad to boycott training over unpaid bonuses a few hours to their crucial 2026 World Cup playoff match against the Panthers of Gabon.
Preparations for Thursday’s decisive 2026 FIFA World Cup playoff match hit a serious stumbling block on Tuesday after the Super Eagles boycotted training in Rabat, Morocco.
While reacting to the bonuses row, the member of the 1990 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) squad, Kpakor, told Daily Trust yesterday that instead of blaming the players, Nigerians should ask the NFF to pay the players their entitlements.
He said the football federation right from the time of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) has formed the bad habit of delaying or not paying players’ bonuses whenever they come to represent the country.
According to the BCC Lions and Abiola Babes legend, the NFF has consistently failed to put its house in order even at very critical moments like the 2026 World Cup playoff, which is a few hours away.
“The problem is with the NFF. Why not pay the players their bonuses? Super Eagles are professionals who play for money. They are not amateur players.
“As a member of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), we just returned from strike because we were not paid our entitlements as agreed with the government. The case of footballers is not different. The NFF must learn to pay as and when due.
“By the way, NFF knew they would pay these bonuses. Why didn’t they plan towards it? There is nothing like wrong timing by the players. Countries like England, Argentina, Spain, and the rest, don’t owe their players because they plan ahead,” he said.