The Super Eagles have finally assembled their full 23-man squad in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, as they prepare for their crucial 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against South Africa and Benin Republic.
The last piece of the puzzle fell into place late on Wednesday night with the arrival of goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, who had been stranded in Abuja earlier this week due to the nationwide strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress.
The industrial action had initially thrown the team’s preparations off-course, with several players left stranded in Lagos and Abuja. However, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) quickly arranged chartered flights to get the players down to Uyo.
While the majority of the squad arrived on Tuesday, Okoye’s delay in reaching the team’s camp had raised some concerns. But the NFF has now confirmed that all 23 players are present and accounted for, giving new head coach Finidi George a full complement of his squad.
The qualifiers against South Africa on Friday and Benin Republic on Monday are crucial for Nigeria’s chances of reaching the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Currently sitting in third place in Group C, the Super Eagles must win both games to enhance their prospects of advancing to the next round of the qualifiers. They will be up against a South African side in second place and a surprise group leader in Rwanda, who have four points from their opening two matches.
With the full squad now assembled in Uyo, the Super Eagles will be hoping to get their campaign back on track and take a significant step towards securing a spot at the 2026 World Cup finals.