"We appreciate the federal government and the NFF for their swift reaction," team spokesman Toyin Ibitoye told BBC Sport. "It's important that all those distractive comments are no longer associated with this team and our focus is solely on the football pitch now." Nigeria's vice-captain Ahmed Musa insists the players have always stayed focus amid all the distractions and money crisis. Pay rows have often surrounded Nigerian teams, while players have boycotted training during important qualifiers or at major tournaments over unpaid fees. Their 2014 World Cup campaign was affected by a bonus row, with players boycotting training before the last-16 fixture against France as they demanded their bonuses and appearance fees.

Source: BBC June 29, 2019 13:07 UTC