By Aremu Oyinkansola
Former Super Eagles captain, John Obi Mikel, has revealed that he personally contacted the office of late President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure Nigerian players received their bonuses after the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, following prolonged delays by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Mikel made the disclosure on an episode of The Obi One Podcast released on Tuesday, saying players were owed monies earned from qualifying for the tournament, despite repeated assurances from football administrators.
“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 usually releases what is known as “parachute money” ahead of major tournaments, funds meant to be shared among players. According to him, football federations often borrow money to pay players’ bonuses early and later repay lenders once FIFA disburses the funds.
Mikel noted that this process broke down during the Russia 2018 World Cup, leaving players frustrated after arriving in camp to discover that agreed payments had not been made.
The former Chelsea midfielder, who captained Nigeria at the tournament, said his intervention became necessary to protect the welfare and morale of the players, stressing that senior players often had to step in to address administrative failures.
Nigeria exited the 2018 World Cup at the group stage after wins against Iceland and losses to Croatia and Argentina.
