Tension is rising among Nigerian football fans as reports emerge that Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle, has been owed three months’ salary and bonuses by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) barely weeks before preparations for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) kick off.
Chelle, who led Nigeria to the 2026 FIFA World Cup playoff round before their exit to DR Congo, is reportedly enduring a long stretch of unpaid wages. BBC sports journalist, Oluwashina Okeleji, disclosed that despite the financial crisis, the Malian coach has not lodged any formal complaint with the NFF.
Sources say Chelle has continued to carry out his duties with full professionalism, even as expectations mount ahead of Nigeria’s AFCON campaign. However, the NFF has yet to issue any official statement addressing the alleged backlog.
The revelations have sparked outrage online, with many Nigerians calling out the federation for what they describe as a recurring pattern of disrespect toward national team coaches.
Here are some of the reactions:
@POD||ThoughtLeader: “This is embarrassing! We have the resources to pay, but we just don’t. The energy toward AFCON from a Nigerian perspective is totally gone. NFF, is this true? If yes, why not pay the man?”
@Shakersandice: “But the NFF president is busy traveling to the UK and USA without paying the coach—just two weeks to AFCON.”
@InsideLere: “In all my years following Nigerian football, I’m not sure there’s ever been a time they didn’t owe the Super Eagles coaches. Same embarrassing pattern every year.”
@TobeBetting: “Three months without pay, five weeks to AFCON! How man wan focus if dem never settle pocket? Na real disrespect to our football.”
@Xyz_sensei: “It’s not by force to play football. If they can’t get it right, shut down the federation.”
As AFCON draws closer, many Nigerians worry that the controversy could derail the team’s focus and once again expose long-standing administrative rot within the NFF.
