John Obi Mikel, a former Super Eagles captain, has revealed that he reached out to the office of then-President Muhammadu Buhari, through his Chief of Staff Abba Kyari, to secure the players’ bonuses for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, following months of delays by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Mikel said the intervention led to the delivery of millions of dollars in cash via a private jet to the team’s hotel, just days into the tournament.
The former Chelsea midfielder disclosed this on his Obi One Podcast, released on Tuesday, where he criticised the NFF over persistent failures in handling players’ welfare and bonus payments.
He explained that FIFA releases what is known as parachute money ahead of major tournaments, which federations typically use, sometimes through borrowing, to pay players’ bonuses before being reimbursed.
“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.
“Leading up to the World Cup, we were owed money.
“We had been asking for this money for months before the tournament. They kept telling me, ‘Oh, Mikel, don’t worry, the money will be sorted when you come to camp.’ I said, ‘Okay, no problem, but make sure the money is there because the players are asking me about their bonuses, and I have to make sure these bonuses are there when we arrive.
“We got to camp, and I spoke to the team secretary and the president. I asked, ‘Where is the money?’ Again, they said, ‘Don’t worry, Mikel, we’ll sort it out.’
“A week went by. The players kept coming to me saying, ‘Mikel, we need this money. Once the World Cup is over, we don’t know if we’ll ever get it.’”
Mikel said the situation worsened after arrival in camp, with players repeatedly approaching him over fears they might never receive their bonuses once the tournament ended. With no solution in sight, Mikel said he contacted Abba Kyari, who was then Chief of Staff to President Buhari.
“I called him and said, ‘Mr Chief of Staff, we have a serious issue in the national team. We need this money to settle the players. This is what was promised.’”
“24 hours later, a private plane arrived. The money was delivered to the hotel, hand to hand. Millions of dollars,” he said.
“I took the money and handed it to the team secretary and told him to hold it. I said, ‘Make sure this money does not go to the president or anyone else; I don’t want to leave it in my room. This money belongs to the players.’”
Mikel said his actions angered senior officials, including the then NFF president, who summoned him to a meeting two days later. He added he attended the meeting aware of the tensions and faced what he described as the “whole cabal” without fear.
His words, “They said, ‘Mikel, why did you do this? You’ve made us look like idiots; we don’t know what we’re doing or our job.’
“I said, ‘Are you serious? I’ve been asking you for this money for months.’
“I gave you the benefit of the doubt, I respected you, and I didn’t want to go above you from the start, which I could have done.
“When you fail, I have to take responsibility because my players need the f**king money,” Mikel said. “This money is owed. It is not a favour.”
Mikel also questioned the circumstances surrounding William Troost-Ekong’s recent retirement from international football, saying it was uncharacteristic and likely driven by unresolved internal issues.
“You cannot have your leader, Captain, retire two weeks before a major tournament; you cannot have that happen. There’s something going on there that has not been made public right now. I know Troost-Ekong very well; he’s not the guy that quit; he’s very passionate and loves his country. I was there when the young Ekong came into the national team, and I know he’s still passionate.
“For him to retire three weeks before the tournament [AFCON], there’s something ongoing. Even if he’s not a starter or playing anymore, as a leader, someone that I know, he’s not the selfish guy who says, ‘I have to be on the pitch.’ I believe he’s the leader that helps the young guys.”
Beyond the 2018 bonus saga, Mikel also criticised the current state of Nigerian football administration, insisting meaningful progress would be impossible without changes at the NFF.
“If Nigerian football must go forward, they [NFF] have to go. It’s crazy that we’re killing the talent and potential that we have in this country just because of greed from people that don’t want to do the right thing, that don’t want to get football back to where it should be. People that don’t have an idea of how to treat players grow the football in our country,”he said.
