Players of Dolphins stayed away from training on Friday ahead of Sunday's Caf Champions League clash with Cotonsport Garoua of Cameroon, Naijaligue.blogspot.com has been informed.
The players have also threatened to down tools by boycotting the game against Cotonsport Garoua.
The match is the first leg, round of 32 clash in the Caf Champions League billed for the Liberation Stadium in Port Harcourt.
Naijaligue.blogspot.com was reliably informed that the players are demanding for payment of 29 outstanding match bonuses before they drop their threat to shun the game against Cotonsport.
It was learnt that the players of the Nigeria Premier League champions refused to train throughout Friday in a bid to press for their unpaid bonuses.
On Friday, the players were called for the morning training session but instead they kept the coaching crew waiting and later sent words to them by noon that they (the players) will not take part in any training before the Cotonsport game.
A player of the club disclosed that Dolphins owe them 25 match bonuses from last season and four this season.
"It is unfortunate that we are owed about 29 match bonuses. At least 25 of our match bonuses from last season are still unpaid. This season out of 10 match bonuses they've paid six and four is unpaid.
"Some of us have families who depend on us and others are bread winners in their families. So you can imagine the pains they are putting people through. Not even a dime has been paid as signing-on fees to us this season and they want us to continue to play thank you football. We were told on two occasions by the (Rivers State) sports commissioner that our match bonuses are ready and will be paid to us but till date nothing of such has happened," said the player, who wants to remain anonymous.
Naijaligue.blogspot.com further gathered that the players were left livid before the Sony Ela Nguema game in Malabo when they were given $1,000 each as travelling allowance.
They claim that the $1,000 was a slap in their faces as Dolphins paid same amount in 1998 as travelling allowance when they campaigned in the Caf Champions League as Eagle Cement FC.
Instead the players returned the $1,000 travelling allowance given to each of them to the club and went ahead to defeat Sony Ela Nguema in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.
Club officials have opted to remain silent on the matter.
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