As Nigeria’s Super Eagles prepare for their crucial AFCON 2025 qualifier against Benin Republic, a strong squad of 22 players, including star forwards Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, and captain William Ekong, assembled in Abidjan. Only Spain-based striker Sadiq Umar was yet to arrive, expected to join by early Wednesday ahead of the team’s first practice session at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny.
“We have 22 players, with just one left to join us by Wednesday morning. The atmosphere here in Abidjan is fantastic, and we’re feeling very positive heading into our first training,” Coach Augustine Eguavoen shared with thenff.com on Tuesday.
A group of 11 players, led by Ekong and Osimhen, arrived Tuesday morning. They included defenders Bright Osayi-Samuel, Olaoluwa Aina, Victor Collins, and Calvin Bassey, midfielders Alex Iwobi and Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi, and Germany-based forward Victor Boniface, with South Africa-based goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali joining shortly after. Earlier, players like goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, midfielder Wilfred Ndidi, and forward Kelechi Iheanacho had settled into the camp alongside others who arrived on Monday.
With a commanding 10 points from four matches and no goals conceded, the Super Eagles top Group D. The team’s confidence is high as they return to the familiar Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, where they have celebrated past victories against Guinea-Bissau, Cameroon, and Angola. However, the memory of a 2-1 loss to Benin at the same venue in a recent World Cup qualifying match adds a competitive edge to this encounter.
“Our focus is on the positive results we’ve achieved here, and we’re ready to work hard for another victory on Thursday,” said Captain Ekong. “The Beninoise team is also aiming to qualify, so it won’t be easy, but our goal is clear: we want three points.”
Senegalese referee Issa Sy, who officiated the Super Eagles’ win against Angola in the AFCON quarter-finals, will oversee Thursday’s match, set to begin at 7 pm (CIV time) / 8 pm (Nigeria time). Sy will be assisted by Djibril Camara, Nouha Bangoura, and El Hadji Amadou Sy, with Ivorian Rene Williams Sere as match commissioner and Angolan Inacio Manuel Candido as referee assessor.
With just one point needed to secure a spot in the 35th AFCON tournament, scheduled to be held in Morocco from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, the Super Eagles are determined to make their mark on Thursday night.
Discover more from LN247
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
