Former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel has disclosed that he reached out to the office of late President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure Nigerian players were paid their bonuses after the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, following prolonged delays by the Nigeria Football Federation.
Mikel made the revelation on an episode of The Obi One Podcast released on Tuesday, where he recounted how players were owed monies earned from qualifying for the World Cup, despite repeated assurances from football administrators.
He said the situation became critical when the team arrived in camp and payments were still not made, forcing him to take decisive action as captain.
“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.
The former Chelsea midfielder explained that FIFA usually releases what he described as “parachute money” ahead of major tournaments, which federations are expected to distribute to players, often borrowing funds to settle bonuses early before reimbursement.
“Leading up to the World Cup, we were owed money,” he said. “We had been asking for this money for months before the tournament. They kept assuring me it would be sorted when we got to camp.”
According to him, the same assurances were repeated even after the team arrived in camp.
“We got to camp, and I spoke to the team secretary and the president. I asked where the money was. They said, ‘Don’t worry, Mikel, we’ll sort it out,’” he recalled.
As days passed without payment, Mikel said pressure mounted from players who feared they might never receive the money after the tournament.
“A week went by, and the players kept coming to me, saying they needed the money. They were worried that once the World Cup was over, it might be forgotten,” he said.
With no solution forthcoming, Mikel said he contacted the late Abba Kyari, who was then Chief of Staff to President Buhari, to intervene.
“I called him and said, ‘We have a serious issue in the national team. The players need to be settled. This was what was promised,’” Mikel said.
He added that within 24 hours, the situation changed dramatically.
“A private plane arrived. The money was delivered to the hotel, hand to hand. Millions of dollars,” he said.
Mikel said he personally handed the funds to the team secretary and insisted that it must not be diverted.
“I told him, ‘Make sure this money does not go to the president or anyone else. This money belongs to the players,’” he said.
According to him, the bonuses were calculated and paid to all players involved in the World Cup qualifiers the following day.
The former captain said his actions angered some senior football officials, including the then NFF president, who summoned him for questioning.
“They told me I made them look like idiots,” Mikel said. “I told them I had been asking for this money for months.”
He stressed that the payments were not gifts or favours but legitimate earnings from qualification.
“This money is owed. It is not a favour,” he said.
Nigeria exited the 2018 World Cup at the group stage after losses to Croatia and Argentina, despite a win over Iceland. The team earned about $16m in prize money for its participation, and the tournament remains Nigeria’s most recent World Cup appearance.
Mikel retired from international football in 2019 after making 91 appearances for Nigeria. He won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013 and an Olympic bronze medal at the Rio 2016 Games.
