AFCON qualifier: Full house as Super Eagles begin training in Abidjan
By Tosin Omojola
Only Spain-based forward Sadiq Umar was yet to arrive as Nigeria’s Super Eagles settled into familiar territory at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny on Tuesday. With 22 players present, the team kicked off its first training session ahead of Thursday’s high-stakes Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against neighboring Benin Republic.
“We have 22 players, with one more joining us early Wednesday. The atmosphere here in Abidjan is particularly positive, and we’re all geared up for our first training session before the match,” said Coach Augustine Eguavoen to thenff.com.
Among the arrivals were 11 players, including Captain and AFCON Man of the Competition William Ekong, reigning Africa Player of the Year Victor Osimhen, his potential successor Ademola Lookman, defenders Bright Osayi-Samuel, Olaoluwa Aina, Victor Collins, and Calvin Bassey, midfielders Alex Iwobi and Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi, and Germany-based forward Victor Boniface. They arrived on Tuesday morning, soon joined by South Africa-based goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali.
Earlier, goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, midfielder Wilfred Ndidi, and forward Kelechi Iheanacho arrived, joining eight others who reported to camp on Monday: goalkeeper Amas Obasogie, defenders Gabriel Osho and Bruno Onyemaechi, midfielders Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Frank Onyeka, and Raphael Onyedika, along with forwards Moses Simon and Samuel Chukwueze.
With 10 points from four matches, seven goals scored, and none conceded, the Super Eagles sit atop Group D. They return to the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny, where they triumphed over Guinea Bissau, Cameroon, and Angola in the AFCON finals earlier this year.
This venue also holds memories from the summer when they lost 2-1 to the Cheetahs in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier. The Benin team, forced to adopt Abidjan as their base due to a lack of CAF-approved facilities at home, scored first in that game.
“The stadium is familiar, and we have good memories here from the AFCON. We’ll focus on the positive results we’ve achieved here and aim for another successful outing on Thursday,” Captain Ekong remarked. “It won’t be easy since Benin is also fighting for a ticket to the tournament. However, our goal is clear: three points on the night.”
Senegalese referee Issa Sy, who officiated Nigeria’s 1-0 win over Angola at this stadium during the AFCON quarter-finals, will oversee Thursday’s encounter, which kicks off at 7 p.m. local time (8 p.m. in Nigeria). Sy will be supported by compatriots Djibril Camara (assistant referee 1), Nouha Bangoura (assistant referee 2), and El Hadji Amadou Sy (fourth official). The match commissioner will be Ivorian Rene Williams Sere, with Angolan Inacio Manuel Candido as referee assessor.
The Super Eagles need only a draw on Thursday to secure their place at the 35th AFCON, scheduled to take place in Morocco from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.
