Flying Eagles unpaid bonuses dispute grows as Nigeria U-20 players urge NFF to settle allowances and qualification payments

Members of Nigeria’s U-20 men’s national team, the Flying Eagles, have called on the Nigeria Football Federation to settle outstanding payments, including bonuses and allowances, owed from multiple international tournaments over the past three years, according to reports.

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The issue involves players from the 2023 and 2025 squads who participated in major competitions such as the WAFU B Cup, the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, and the FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Sources indicate that the affected players are owed qualification bonuses for six tournaments, as well as camp allowances covering approximately 65 days across both cycles.

Under former head coach Ladan Bosso, the 2023 Flying Eagles qualified for the U-20 AFCON, won the WAFU B Cup, and finished third in the continental tournament in Egypt before reaching the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Argentina.

In 2025, the team, led by coach Aliyu Zubair, reached the semi-finals of the U-20 AFCON after defeating Senegal on penalties to secure World Cup qualification.

The side later finished fourth in the competition and exited the World Cup in Chile at the round of 16 stage.

According to insiders, the agreed qualification bonus stood at 5,000 dollars per player and official per tournament, while camp allowances were set at 100 dollars per day.

However, players allege that the Nigeria Football Federation is considering paying only outstanding daily allowances while excluding qualification bonuses, a move that has heightened tensions.

One player said the outstanding allowances alone amount to about 2,500 dollars for 2023 and 4,000 dollars for 2025, based on the number of unpaid camp days.

The dispute has also drawn attention to earlier commitments by the federation after match bonuses for age-grade teams were scrapped in 2017.

A source within the federation suggested that efforts are underway to settle part of the debt ahead of the body’s elective congress, amid concerns that the issue could influence internal politics.

Responding to the claims, Nigeria Football Federation General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi said the organisation is working towards settling the payments but noted that it may not be done at once.

Sanusi questioned claims that the federation intends to withhold any portion of the payments and maintained that approved matches and entitlements are being reviewed for settlement.

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The dispute adds to ongoing financial concerns within Nigerian football, following previous bonus-related issues involving the senior national team during recent international competitions.