On Sunday, November 9, 2025, the Super Eagles of Nigeria arrived at camp in Rabat, Morocco, ten days ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, also known as the Confederation of African Football (CAF) playoffs.
The initial group of players and team officials reached the Rive Hotel in Rabat on Sunday afternoon, marking the beginning of what could be a crucial week in Nigeria’s quest to qualify once again for the world’s biggest football tournament.
The media officer of the Team, Promise Efoghe, informed the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the following players were the early birds to camp: Calvin Bassey, Alex Iwobi, Samuel Chukwueze, Tolu Arokodare, and Olakunle Olusegun.
He further stated that other players, including Wilfred Ndidi, Moses Simon, William Troost-Ekong, Benjamin Fredericks, and Chidozie Awaziem, joined up with the squad, bringing the number of players in camp to ten, as preparations are in top gear for the games.
Coach Eric Chelle, on Saturday, November 8, 2025, concluded his 24-man squad for the playoffs as he named a strong roster of Europe-based stars and local standouts for the decisive fixtures in Rabat.
The Super Eagles are set to face Gabon in their first playoff match on Thursday, November 13, 2025. A win in that game would secure them a spot in the playoff final, where they will meet either Cameroon or the Democratic Republic of Congo on November 6, 2025.
The playoff round provides African teams with an additional route to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. However, the winner of this series is expected to contend with opponents from other continents in a final intercontinental playoff scheduled for March 2026 in Mexico.
The Coach made several adjustments among players featured in last month’s qualifiers, where Nigeria recorded victories over Lesotho and Benin to climb to second place behind South Africa in their qualifying group, earning the team a playoff slot as one of the four best runners-up across the nine African groups.
The returnees include Maduka Okoye of Udinese, back to provide competition in goal, while Awaziem also returns in defence. Midfielder Raphael Onyedika and forward Chidera have been recalled to add depth and creativity.
Players omitted from last month’s roster include Felix Agu, Terem Moffi, and Christantus Uche.
Nigeria, the highest-ranked of the four teams in this playoff round, is widely seen as the favorite to progress — but coach Chelle has cautioned against complacency, stressing the need for discipline and tactical precision.
Nigeria Squad for 2026 FIFA World Cup Playoffs
Goalkeepers:
Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa), Amas Obasogie (Singida Blackstars, Tanzania), Maduka Okoye (Udinese, Italy)
Defenders:
Chidozie Awaziem (Nantes, France), Semi Ajayi (Hull City, England), Calvin Bassey (Fulham, England), Benjamin Fredericks (Dender, Belgium), Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiakos, Greece), Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham City, England), Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal), William Troost-Ekong (Al-Kholood, Saudi Arabia)
Midfielders:
Alex Iwobi (Fulham, England), Wilfred Ndidi (Besiktas, Turkey), Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium), Frank Onyeka (Brentford, England), Alhassan Yusuf (New England Revolution, USA)
Forwards:
Akor Adams (Sevilla, Spain), Tolu Arokodare (Wolverhampton Wanderers, England), Samuel Chukwueze (Fulham, England), Chidera Ejuke (Sevilla, Spain), Ademola Lookman (Atalanta, Italy), Olakunle Olusegun (Nizhny Novgorod, Russia), Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray, Turkey), Moses Simon (Paris FC, France).
