Super Eagles players are scheduled to report to their training camp in Uyo today, as they prepare for the upcoming 2025 AFCON qualifier matches against Benin Republic and Rwanda.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) confirmed that players are expected to report to camp on Monday, marking the start of Nigeria’s journey toward the continental tournament scheduled to take place in Morocco from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.
Nigeria’s first match in this qualification series will see them take on Benin Republic on Saturday, September 7. Just three days later, the team will travel to Kigali to face Rwanda.
The NFF had earlier unveiled a 23-man squad for these crucial encounters, announcing the list last Tuesday.
Among the first to arrive at the Uyo camp are expected to be Fulham’s Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi, along with Leicester City’s Wilfred Ndidi, and Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman.
These players, along with others like Moses Simon, Victor Boniface, Samuel Chukweuze, and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, featured for their clubs over the weekend and are anticipated to be early arrivals at the camp.
Additional players, including Nottingham Forest’s Taiwo Awoniyi and Ola Aina, as well as South Africa-based goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, are also set to join the camp today.
Other key figures, such as Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, and former Bendel Insurance goalkeeper Amas Obasogie, are expected to link up with the squad as soon as possible after completing their club commitments on Sunday.
However, the Super Eagles’ preparations have been overshadowed by the sudden withdrawal of German coach Bruno Labbadia, who had been announced as the team’s head coach just last week.
NFF President, Ibrahim Musa Gusau revealed that the negotiations with Labbadia fell through due to complications related to German tax laws, which required the NFF to cover a significant portion of the coach’s salary as tax.
Gusau explained that while an agreement in principle had been reached, the tax issue became a sticking point. “We were doing our best to be flexible in the discussions, but he was adamant that the NFF had to pay the full tax amount as well,” Gusau said. “We simply cannot do that.”
In light of Labbadia’s withdrawal, NFF’s Technical Director, Augustine Eguavoen, will lead the team for the upcoming qualifiers.
Despite the coaching setback, the Super Eagles are focused on the task at hand as they aim to secure their place in the 2025 AFCON tournament.
