Former Super Eagles captain John Mikel Obi has revealed how unpaid bonuses owed to Nigerian players during the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia were finally settled after he escalated the issue to the Presidency.

Speaking on The Obi One Podcast, Mikel said the players were owed qualification bonuses for months despite repeated assurances from officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) that the matter would be resolved before the tournament began.

According to him, anxiety grew within the squad as the World Cup approached, with players worried that once the competition ended, the money might never be paid.

“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.

He explained that the issue started well before the team arrived in camp, with players constantly asking about their unpaid bonuses.

“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, ‘Don’t worry, the money will be sorted when you come to camp,’” he recalled.

After arriving in camp, Mikel said he followed up again with the team secretary and the NFF president, but nothing changed. As days passed, the pressure from teammates increased.

With the situation unresolved, Mikel decided to contact Abba Kyari, who was the Chief of Staff to late President Muhammadu Buhari at the time.

“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,’” he said.

According to Mikel, the response was swift. Within 24 hours, a private plane reportedly arrived at the team’s hotel carrying millions of dollars in cash.

“Twenty-four hours later, a private plane arrived. The money was delivered to the hotel, hand to hand. Millions of dollars,” he revealed.

Mikel added that he personally handed the cash to the team secretary and warned 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.

The former Chelsea midfielder has often been praised for his leadership with the Super Eagles, and his account sheds light on the behind-the-scenes struggles players faced even while representing Nigeria on football’s biggest stage.