Super Eagles Cancel U.S. Friendlies To Focus On Morocco World Cup Playoffs

Nigeria’s Super Eagles have cancelled their planned friendlies against Venezuela and Colombia in the United States to focus on the crucial CAF World Cup playoffs in Morocco.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) had originally scheduled the matches for November 14 at Houston’s Shell Energy Stadium and November 18 at Citi Field in New York. But after Nigeria’s recent win over Benin Republic secured a playoff spot, the U.S. tour will no longer take place.

“We had a clause in the contract covering this scenario. Now that we’ve qualified for the playoffs, we won’t be going ahead with the friendlies. Our priority is to concentrate fully on qualifying for the World Cup,” an NFF official told ESPN.

The playoffs, set for November 13–16 in Morocco, will see Nigeria face Gabon in the semifinals. The winner will meet the victor of Cameroon vs. Congo DR for Africa’s intercontinental playoff spot in Mexico next March.

Nigeria, currently ranked 41st in the world, is the highest-ranked side among the four playoff teams, which also include Cameroon, Congo DR, and Gabon.

The Morocco fixtures also serve as preparation for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where Nigeria, runners-up in 2023, are drawn in Group C alongside Tanzania, Tunisia, and Uganda, beginning their campaign on December 23 in Fez.

Tickets for the canceled U.S. friendlies had already gone on sale, and the NFF is expected to announce refund details soon. The Super Eagles’ full attention now turns to securing a place at the 2026 World Cup.