President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Gusau, has explained why Super Eagles players were absent from the medal presentation ceremony at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final on Sunday.
According to Gusau, the players had to leave immediately after the playoff match due to pressure from their respective clubs, which demanded their prompt return.
“The players could not wait to receive their medals on Sunday. Their clubs were already after them to come back after Saturday’s game,” Gusau was quoted to have said on Monday in a post on X, by journalist Osasu Obayiuwana.
He added that the situation was not unique to Nigeria, as Egypt had faced similar circumstances.
“I have the medals in my possession. And this is the case for Egypt too, not just us. Had the medal ceremony taken place on the day of the match, they would have had the medals.” Nigeria’s win marked their ninth third-place finish at the biennial AFCON tournament, extending their record as the most successful nation in the competition’s third-place playoff history.
Nigeria finished third on Saturday after defeating Egypt 4–2 on penalties in the playoff match. However, the players were not present to receive their bronze medals following Sunday’s final between Morocco and Senegal