Nigeria’s summer schedule is taking shape, and it is one of the busiest the Super Eagles have had outside of a World Cup year, Footynaija.com reports.
Eric Chelle’s side will face India and Jamaica at the Unity Cup in London from May 26 to 30, before travelling to Warsaw to play Poland on June 3 and then Portugal on June 10 in what will serve as the Seleção’s final warmup ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Six games across two months, all with the 2027 AFCON in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania in mind.
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Nigeria failed to qualify for the World Cup in North America, finishing below the required standard in the CAF qualifying series. That setback has at least freed up Chelle’s planning horizon. With no World Cup to prepare for, the Malian coach has been handed the time and space to begin a genuine rebuild, and the summer fixtures offer the perfect stage to blood new players against serious opposition.
Chelle has already shown an appetite for fresh faces, introducing several uncapped players during March’s friendlies against Iran and Jordan. The trend looks set to continue across the upcoming games.
‘Start bringing young players who are 21 and 22’
Former Super Eagles midfielder Garba Lawal, who represented Nigeria at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics where the country won gold, has welcomed the approach.
Speaking to Brila.net, the ex-international said the World Cup absence should be seen as an opportunity rather than a setback.
“The coach decided to bring new faces in the team which is good. We aren’t going to the World Cup, we are just preparing for the 2027 AFCON,” Lawal said.
“Those friendlies are quality matches, you can’t underestimate them.”
The former midfielder was particularly pointed on the age profile Chelle should be targeting.
“Some of these players are 28, 29 and 30. So if you want to build a team, it’s now you should start bringing young players who are 21 and 22.”
Nigeria’s qualifying campaign for the 2027 AFCON begins in September, giving Chelle only a few months to settle on the core of his squad before competitive action resumes.
