Akeem Oduyoye
Former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel has disclosed that he reached out directly to the office of the late President Muhammadu Buhari to secure overdue bonuses for players following Nigeria’s 2018 World Cup campaign in Russia.
Speaking on The Obi One Podcast on Tuesday, Mikel said the Nigeria Football Federation had repeatedly assured players their money would be paid, but the promises were not fulfilled even after the team arrived at camp.
“Talking about fighting for players’ bonuses, I went above the president of the NFF to get those bonuses, which is what I did a couple of times during the World Cup,” Mikel said.
He explained that FIFA disburses what is called “parachute money” before major tournaments to reward players, and that federations sometimes borrow funds to pay players in advance, reimbursing themselves once FIFA releases the official payments.
“Before the World Cup, we had been waiting for months for this money,” Mikel said. “We kept being told, ‘Don’t worry, Mikel, it will be sorted when you get to camp.’ I said, ‘Okay, fine, but the players are asking, so make sure it’s ready.’”
Even after the team arrived, the funds were still missing. “At camp, I asked the team secretary and the president, ‘Where is the money?’ Again, I was told, ‘Don’t worry, we’ll take care of it,’” he recalled.
As the days went by, concern among players grew. “A week passed, and players kept coming to me saying, ‘Mikel, we need this money. After the World Cup, we don’t know if we’ll ever get it,’” he added.
With the situation unresolved, Mikel contacted the late Abba Kyari, who was then Chief of Staff to President Buhari. “I called him and explained, ‘We have a serious issue in the national team. The players must get their money. This was promised,’” he said.
“Within 24 hours, a private plane delivered the cash to the hotel,” Mikel said. “I handed it directly to the team secretary and instructed him to keep it secure. I told him, ‘This money belongs to the players, not to anyone else.’”
The following day, bonuses were calculated and distributed to the squad for the World Cup qualifiers. Mikel said senior officials were displeased and summoned him. “They said, ‘Mikel, why did you do this? You’ve made us look like fools,’” he recalled.
“I responded, ‘Are you serious? I have been chasing this money for months.’ The players needed the funds, and I had to act. This money is owed, not a favour,” he stressed, adding that the payments were earned from qualification, not additional incentives.
Nigeria was eliminated at the group stage after losses to Croatia and Argentina, despite defeating Iceland. The squad earned $16 million in prize money, with 2018 remaining Nigeria’s last World Cup appearance. Mikel retired a year later, ending his international career with 91 appearances, an Africa Cup of Nations title in 2013, and an Olympic bronze medal in 2016.