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Former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel has strongly criticised the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) over what he described as poor preparation for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), calling for urgent reforms ahead of the tournament in Morocco.
Speaking on his ObiOne Podcast, Mikel expressed frustration over unresolved administrative issues surrounding the national team, particularly reports that Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle is owed months of salary and bonuses just days before the competition begins.
“I’m not impressed at all with the preparation,” Mikel said. “After everything that happened with the World Cup qualifiers, you would expect things to be better. How do you owe a coach money at this stage? It’s shameless.”
Mikel, who has previously demanded the resignation of the NFF board following Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, warned that unresolved financial disputes could negatively affect team morale.
“When issues like this are in the public space, it affects everyone — the coach, the players and even the fans,” he added. “You can’t go into AFCON with unresolved problems. Nigeria deserves better. Our football deserves better.”
Reports indicate that Coach Eric Chelle is owed three months’ salary and bonuses by the NFF ahead of the tournament.
However, the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, revealed on Monday that the commission has been paying Chelle’s salary on behalf of the NFF, despite not being a party to his contract.
“The NSC have been paying the salaries of Eric Chelle on behalf of the NFF even though we’re not a party to the contract,” Dikko said during an interview on Arise Television. “This is part of our support to the NFF.”
Nigeria has been drawn in Group C of AFCON 2025 alongside Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania, with their opening match against Tanzania scheduled for December 23 in Fès**.
The Super Eagles head into the tournament following a 2–1 defeat to Egypt in their only pre-AFCON friendly played in Cairo on Tuesday, further heightening concerns over preparations. Punch
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