World Cup Qualifier: Eagles’ Camp Comes Alive, as Training Begins in Uyo

Nigeria’s camp has come truly alive ahead of Saturday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying showdown with Rwanda, with team captain William Troost-Ekong leading by example. The Saudi Arabia-based defender arrived camp on Monday, alongside goalkeeper Amas Obasogie and defenders Bruno Onyemaechi and Felix Agu. Agu, who plays his club football with Werder Bremen in Germany, impressed at left back at the Unity Cup Tournament in London in the summer. Dependable forward Simon Moses, who scored a goal and made an assist in his new club, Paris FC’s league win at the weekend, is also in camp, as Greece-based goalkeeper Adeleye Adebayo, defenders Chidozie Awaziem and Benjamin Fredericks, and midfielders Wilfred Ndidi, Frank Onyeka and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru. Wing-back Olaoluwa Aina, defenders Bright Osayi-Samuel and Calvin Bassey, and midfielder Alex Iwobi have also arrived. First-choice goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, back in training after an injury scare last week, was being expected on Tuesday evening, while midfielder Christantus Uche, who moved to English side Crystal Palace from Getafe of Spain on transfer deadline-day, is being expected alongside forwards Samuel Chukwueze (now in English Premiership side, Fulham FC from AC Milan of Italy), Tolu Arokodare (now in Wolverhampton Wanderers from KRC Genk in Belgium) and Cyriel Dessers (now in Panathinaikos in Greece from Glasgow Rangers of Scotland). African Player of the Year, Ademola Lookman, Galatasaray of Turkey’s Victor Osimhen and midfielder Raphael Onyedika are also being expected. The squad of 23 will also execute Tuesday’s Matchday 8 encounter against South Africa in Bloemfontein, which will be played at the Toyota Stadium (also known as Free State Stadium) on Tuesday evening.

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2026 W’Cup Qualifier: Rwanda’s Amavubi to Storm Nigeria on Tuesday

Rwanda’s delegation to Saturday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Nigeria will arrive in Lagos on Tuesday afternoon. A one-man advance party will be in Lagos on Monday, but the full delegation will make landfall in Lagos on Tuesday aboard a Rwandair Airline flight at 1.15pm, and will proceed to Uyo, capital of Akwa Ibom State by 4pm of the same day. The Matchday 7 encounter has become very crucial to both teams as they are both wide away from group leaders South Africa, who have 13 points (prior to FIFA’s decision on their use of an ineligible player in the win over Lesotho in March this year). Rwanda are second in the pool with eight points, same as Benin Republic, with Nigeria in fourth on seven points. Lesotho have 6 points, with Zimbabwe propping up the table on four points. While the world still awaits FIFA’s decision, Nigeria and Rwanda will go for each other’s jugular in order to be appropriately-placed to benefit from Bafana Bafana’s error. The Crocodiles will leap to 9 points if South Africa are penalized for their infraction.

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Chelle Picks Ekong, Osimhen, 21 Others For 2026 W/Cup Qualifiers

Captain William Ekong, midfielders Alex Iwobi and Raphael Onyedika, and forwards Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen have been included in Nigeria’s final list of 23 players for next month’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Rwanda and South Africa. Goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali also makes the final cut, just as defenders Calvin Bassey, Olaoluwa Aina and Bright Osayi-Samuel, midfielders Wilfred Ndidi, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Frank Onyeka, and forwards Simon Moses, Samuel Chukwueze and Cyriel Dessers. Greece-based goalie Adeleye Adebayo returns to the group, alongside Unity Cup sensations Felix Agu and Benjamin Fredericks, and forwards Christantus Uche and Tolu Arokodare, who both impressed in the friendly with Russia in Moscow on 6th June this year. The Super Eagles confront the Amavubi of Rwanda in a Matchday 7 encounter at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo on Saturday, 6th September before flying to Bloemfontein to take on South Africa’s Bafana Bafana in a Matchday 8 fixture on Tuesday, 9th September. FINAL LIST OF 23 SUPER EAGLES FOR RWANDA & SOUTH AFRICA Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa); Amas Obasogie (Singida Blackstars, Tanzania); Adeleye Adebayo (Volos FC, Greece) Defenders: William Ekong (Al-Kholood, Saudi Arabia); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Olaoluwa Aina (Nottingham Forest, England); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham City, England); Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiakos, Greece); Chidozie Awaziem (Nantes FC, France); Felix Agu (Werder Bremen, Germany); Benjamin Fredericks (Dender FC, Belgium) Midfielders: Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England); Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Wilfred Ndidi (Besiktas FC, Turkey); Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (SS Lazio, Italy); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Christantus Uche (Getafe CF, Spain) Forwards: Ademola Lookman (Atalanta BC, Italy); Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy); Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray FC, Turkey); Simon Moses (Paris FC, France); Cyriel Dessers (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Tolu Arokodare (KRC Genk, Belgium)

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World Cup Qualifier: South Africa to Host Nigeria in Bloemfontein on Sept 9

South Africa’s Bafana Bafana will play host to three-time African champions Nigeria in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match at the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein on Tuesday, 9th September 2025. According to information from Gordon Savic, FIFA’s Head of Qualifiers and International Matches, the highly-anticipated game will commence at 4pm GMT (which is 5pm Nigeria time and 6pm in South Africa). Formerly known as the Vodacom Park and later as Free State Stadium, the Toyota Stadium in South Africa’s judicial capital, was opened in 1995 and has capacity for 46,000 spectators. The potentially-explosive Matchday 8 encounter is expected to have enormous implications for which team will eventually win the only ticket from Africa’s qualifying group C to the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals, and comes three days after the Super Eagles would have hosted Rwanda’s Amavubi on Saturday, 6th September.

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2026 World Cup Race: Eagles focused on three points against Warriors

The Super Eagles expect to rise to nine points and be fully back into contention for a 2026 FIFA World Cup ticket after Tuesday’s African Qualification Series Matchday 6 encounter against the Warriors of Zimbabwe at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo. Team captain William Ekong reiterated on Monday afternoon that the three-time African champions will seek to control the game the way they did the encounter with Rwanda in Kigali on Friday, and then work hard to get the goals that will give them the three points and fully establish them as one of the contenders for the ticket. “We are looking forward to a win. The three points are important to us. At this stage, we cannot afford to drop any more points. Our aim is to take it one match at a time, collect three points here and there and hope fervently that these will be enough to get us the ticket.” Without a win in their first four games of the series, Nigeria languished in fifth place in the six-team group C and remained in a perilous situation, until Friday’s robust win over Rwanda in Kigali threw them up as a proposition for the ticket to the finals. Nigeria, with six points, moved up to fourth position, while Zimbabwe, on three, prop up the table, and will seek to increase their haul in Tuesday’s encounter. The Warriors’ 45-man contingent, led by the ZIFA Vice President, Kennedy Ndebele, landed at the Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo on Friday afternoon, 85 minutes after the arrival of the Super Eagles’ contingent from Kigali. While the Warriors trained at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium on Sunday morning, the Super Eagles trained at the same venue in the evening, watched by some members of the NFF Executive Committee, the General Secretary Dr Mohammed Sanusi, SSA to Mr. President Mr. Anthony Adeyinka Adeboye, Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Sports, Etubom Paul Bassey, former NFF General Secretary Barr. Musa Amadu and some officials of the NSC and the NFF.

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Osimhen revives Super Eagles’s World Cup hope in Kigali 

A brace from Galatasaray of Turkey striker, Victor Osimhen were all the Super Eagles needed to revive hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be hosted by United States of America, Canada and Mexico. Osimhen broke deadlock in the 11th minute when he tapped in a free kick by his successor and the current African Player of the Year Ademola Lookman.  Osimhen broke loose and shipped the ball past the onrushing Rwandan goalkeeper to increase the tally at the close of the first half of the tie. The former African champions now placed fourth with 6 points behind South Africa, who currently the log with 10 points, while the Republic of Benin and Rwanda are on eight and nine points respectively. Nigeria however must consolidate on her winning streak when they host the Warriors of Zimbabwe in Match Day 6 of the Qualifying series in Uyo next week, Tuesday. While Nigeria tackles Zimbabwe in Uyo, The Squirrels of Benin will play host to South Africa, and Lesotho would be Rwanda’s guests.        

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