Only Spain-based forward Sadiq Umar was being expected as Nigeria’s juggernaut rolled sturdily into the much-familiar environment of Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny on Tuesday, with 22 players set for the team’s first training session ahead of a potentially explosive Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against neighbors Benin Republic on Thursday, Nigeriasoccernet.com gathered.
“We have 22 players, with only one person to join the team in the early hours of Wednesday. 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,” Coach Augustine Eguavoen told thenff.com on Tuesday.
Eleven players, viz Captain and AFCON man of the competition William Ekong, reigning Africa Player of the Year Victor Osimhen, his likely 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 all arrived at once on Tuesday morning, before being joined by South Africa-based goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali.
Earlier, goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, midfielder Wilfred Ndidi and forward Kelechi Iheanacho had arrived, to join the eight that were in camp on Monday: goalkeeper Amas Obasogie, defenders Gabriel Osho and Bruno Onyemaechi, midfielders Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Frank Onyeka and Raphael Onyedika, and forwards Moses Simon and Samuel Chukwueze.
With 10 points from four matches, seven goals for and none against, and top of their Group D, the Eagles will walk with an extra bounce into the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny, the facility where they upended the aspirations of Guinea Bissau, Cameroon, and Angola at the 34th Africa Cup of Nations finals in Cote d’Ivoire earlier in the year.
It was also the venue where in the summer, they were slated by two goals to one by the Cheetahs (who have been forced by lack of a CAF-approved facility in their country to adopt Abidjan as home) in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying game in which they scored first.
“The stadium is a familiar one for us and we have good memories from the AFCON. 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.
“It is not going to be easy because the Beninoise are also chasing a ticket to the final tournament. However, our objective is clear: three points on the night,” Captain Ekong said on Tuesday.
The Super Eagles need only one point from Thursday’s clash to be sure of a ticket to the 35th AFCON, scheduled for Morocco from 21st December 2025 to 18th January 2026.
Credit NFF