Nigeria’s upcoming friendlies against Poland and Portugal have drawn an enthusiastic response from former international Friday Ekpo, who believes the calibre of opposition will push Eric Chelle’s players to produce their best football, Footynaija.com reports.
Chelle has named a star-studded 25-man squad for the two June fixtures, recalling his heavy hitters after using the Unity Cup to assess fringe players. Victor Osimhen leads the attack, supported by Ademola Lookman, Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey and Samuel Chukwueze.
The Super Eagles travel to Warsaw to face Poland at the PGE Narodowy Stadium on June 3, before taking on Portugal in Leiria on June 10 in what will be the host nation’s final match before the World Cup.
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Notable absentees from the squad include Ola Aina, Taiwo Awoniyi and Stanley Nwabali, all of whom miss out through injury or form.
Ekpo, the former Nigeria international, is excited by the fixture list and what it demands from those involved.
“I am excited that the Super Eagles will be playing Portugal and Poland in an international friendly. These high-profile games will bring out the best in some of the invited players,” Ekpo said via Complete Sports.
He also pointed to the quality both European sides possess and what that means for the level Nigeria must hit.
“We have lots of quality players on both teams, and you can expect nothing but quality performance from Poland and Portugal when they face the Super Eagles. Again, seeing the list of invited players for the friendlies, I know we will see the best of the Super Eagles,” he added.
Nigeria are rebuilding after missing out on the 2026 World Cup, and the matches against Poland and Portugal form part of their preparations for the 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign, where they have been drawn alongside Madagascar, Tanzania and Guinea-Bissau.
Two wins over European opposition in June would send a statement about the direction Chelle is taking the team.
