Nigeria’s Super Eagles have begun preparations for their opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Madagascar.
The team opened camp in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, ahead of Friday’s Group L encounter against Madagascar at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo.
Head coach Éric Chelle and his technical staff have started working with the players as Nigeria prepares for the first of two AFCON qualifiers during the September international window.
Players Arrive in Camp
Twenty players had arrived at the Super Eagles’ camp by Tuesday morning, with several familiar names among those reporting for duty.
The players include Alex Iwobi, Ademola Lookman, Calvin Bassey, Ola Aina, Semi Ajayi, Taiwo Awoniyi, Moses Simon, Akor Adams and Tolu Arokodare.
Captain Wilfred Ndidi, Samuel Chukwueze and goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali were also expected to join the group, bringing the squad closer to full strength.
The staggered arrival of the players is linked to their club commitments in different countries, with the coaching staff now able to begin more detailed preparations for the Madagascar match.
Nigeria Prepare for Madagascar
The Super Eagles will face Madagascar on Friday, September 25, at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo.
The match will be Nigeria’s opening fixture in the 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign.
The team will then travel to Guinea-Bissau for another qualifier against the Wild Dogs on Tuesday, September 29.
That short gap between the two matches means Chelle will have limited time to prepare the squad for the second fixture.
First Training Session Underway
The Super Eagles held their first training session on Tuesday at their training base in Ikot Ekpene.
The opening 15 minutes of the session were made available to accredited members of the media, while the players are also scheduled to meet journalists ahead of the Madagascar match.
The sessions will give Chelle an opportunity to work on the team’s tactics and combinations before Friday’s game.
Madagascar have also arrived in Nigeria ahead of the encounter, with the Barea expected to continue their own preparations in Uyo.
Super Eagles Focus on AFCON Qualification
Nigeria are beginning another attempt to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations after finishing third at the 2025 tournament in Morocco.
The 2027 AFCON will be hosted jointly by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
For now, the focus inside the Super Eagles camp is firmly on Madagascar and getting the qualifying campaign off to a strong start.
After Friday’s match in Uyo, Nigeria will travel to Guinea-Bissau for the second fixture of the international window.
With more players now joining the squad and training underway, attention will turn to Chelle’s team selection and the starting lineup he chooses for the opening qualifier.