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Super Eagles Step Up AFCON Training in Uyo

Sports & Gaming • September 24, 2026 • 15 Views
  • Intensive preparations in Uyo: The Super Eagles held rigorous training sessions led by coach Éric Chelle at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium ahead of their Group L opener.
  • Key squad adjustments: Star striker Victor Osimhen withdrew due to injury, prompting a late call-up for Coventry City forward Taiwo Awoniyi alongside early arrivals like Wilfred Ndidi and Samuel Chukwueze.
  • Upcoming match schedule: Nigeria is set to face visiting Madagascar this Friday, September 25, at 5 p.m. local time in their opening AFCON qualifier.

Nigeria’s Super Eagles have stepped up preparations for their opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Madagascar. Head coach Éric Chelle led the team through rigorous training sessions at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo.

Twenty-three players took part in the opening workout. Captain Wilfred Ndidi, goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, and winger Samuel Chukwueze joined the squad early to build match fitness ahead of Friday’s Group L encounter.

Squad Updates and Replacements

Chelle plans to use the remaining sessions to refine the team’s tactical shape. Nigeria aims to start its qualifying campaign strongly. They share Group L with Madagascar, Guinea-Bissau, and Tanzania.

The squad will miss star striker Victor Osimhen. The Galatasaray forward withdrew from the roster while recovering from an injury. Coventry City forward Taiwo Awoniyi received a late call-up to fill the vacancy.

Who is missing from the Super Eagles squad for the qualifier?

The Super Eagles will miss striker Victor Osimhen for their opening qualifiers after the Galatasaray forward withdrew from the squad to recover from an injury. Coventry City forward Taiwo Awoniyi was subsequently called up as his direct replacement.

Opponent Arrival and Match Schedule

Madagascar has arrived in Nigeria, with the Barea squad settling into their training camp in Uyo. The Super Eagles will face Madagascar on Friday, September 25, at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 5 p.m. Nigerian time.

Nigeria’s senior men’s association football team, universally known as the Super Eagles, did not always carry this fierce moniker. Founded in 1949, the squad originally competed under the colonial-era nickname ’The Red Devils’. They played their very first official international match on October 8, 1949, securing a 2-2 draw against Sierra Leone.

The team underwent a major rebrand following independence, adopting the name ’Green Eagles’ before finally transitioning to the iconic ’Super Eagles’ in 1994. That exact year proved to be the most successful in the program’s history. Under the guidance of Dutch manager Clemens Westerhof, the squad claimed the Africa Cup of Nations title in Tunisia and reached a stellar fifth place in the FIFA world rankings.

Milestones in Continental Glory

Beyond their continental success in 1994, the Super Eagles captured the imagination of the global sports world later that same year by qualifying for their debut FIFA World Cup in the United States. They advanced past a tough group stage featuring Argentina, Bulgaria, and Greece before narrowly losing to Italy in the round of 16.

Throughout their storied history, legendary players like Rashidi Yekini, Jay-Jay Okocha, and Vincent Enyeama defined the squad’s elite status on the African continent. Yekini etched his name into history by scoring Nigeria’s first-ever World Cup goal against Bulgaria on June 21, 1994.

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Dike Praise (Journalist) Dike Praise is a journalist specializing in news coverage, research, and storytelling, with a focus on Nigerian and West African perspectives. Sh...