Zaidu and teammates boycott Nigeria training session | OneFootball

The Nigerian football team, which includes Porto player Zaidu, staged a protest on Tuesday that interrupted their preparation for the decisive African qualification play-off match for the 2026 World Cup against Gabon. Gathered in Rabat, Morocco, players and members of the coaching staff refused to participate in training, complaining about unpaid bonuses and allowances that have been overdue for more than two years.

Local press sources report significant discontent among the athletes: a training session took place on Monday, but on Tuesday the players stopped to pressure the Nigerian Football Federation to settle the debt. The parties are negotiating to normalize the situation and allow the group of 24 athletes to resume training. The incident comes at a critical moment, just hours before the clash with Gabon, scheduled for Thursday, which will be crucial for Nigeria's qualification; if they win, they will still have to face the winner of the Cameroon-DR Congo match to secure a place in the intercontinental play-off in March.

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