Former national team midfield battler, Garba Chindo Lawal has faulted the Super Eagles for ‘joking’ with the 2026 FIFA World Cup by opting to skip a day of training in order to press home their demand for payment of outstanding bonuses Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) was allegedly owing them.
Sports247 reports that the Eagles boycotted training on Tuesday in order to force the NFF into settling money that the players claimed have remained unpaid since 2019, while also asking for ‘a special bonus’ for their presence at the World Cup qualification play-offs in Morocco.
Read Also: Gabon’s Coach Confesses: Nigeria Will Give Us Much Pressure
However, Lawal, who played alternating roles as a midfielder, winger or left-back during his days with the Eagles, averred that making huge demands at such a precarious time in the qualifiers is just like ‘joking’ with the World Cup ticket.
“Nigeria is a country blessed with a lot of good players. So, when you are called upon or you are lucky to be there, you just have to grab the opportunity.
“There should be no complacency, especially with this kind of situation in which the country is. If you want to be at the World Cup, we can’t afford to joke with it. Nigeria is bigger than that,” Lawal submitted.
