Nigeria’s Super Eagles are primed for an intense Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Benin Republic, with 22 players now in camp for training at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
This preparation, which was revealed in a press statement by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), comes ahead of a key AFCON qualifying match against Benin Republic on Thursday, where a single point would secure Nigeria’s ticket to the 35th Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
“We have 22 players, with only one person to join the team in the early hours of Wednesday,” Super Eagles Coach Eguavoen Augustine shared.
“It has been a particularly great atmosphere here in Abidjan, and we are all very positive going into the first training session ahead of the match.”
The team is packed with top talents including Captain William Ekong, AFCON Man of the Competition, and forward Victor Osimhen, reigning African Player of the Year.
Other key players in the squad include Ademola Lookman, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Olaoluwa Aina, Alex Iwobi, and Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi, as well as Spain-based forward Sadiq Umar.
The Eagles have been on an impressive run with ten points from four matches, scoring seven goals and conceding none. Returning to the familiar Abidjan stadium brings positive memories from their AFCON campaign earlier this year, where they claimed victory over Guinea Bissau, Cameroon, and Angola.
“The stadium is a familiar one for us and we have good memories from the AFCON,” Captain Ekong said. “We will rather focus on the positive results we have taken away from here and work hard for another good day in the office on Thursday.”
Thursday’s match will be officiated by Senegalese referee Issa Sy, who will be supported by fellow Senegalese officials Djibril Camara and Nouha Bangoura, with El Hadji Amadou Sy as fourth official.
The game is set to kick off at 7pm local time (8pm Nigeria time). A win or draw will see Nigeria through to the next AFCON, scheduled to take place from 21st December 2025 to 18th January 2026 in Morocco.
Chioma Kalu
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