The Super Eagles camp will open on Monday (today) in Uyo for the 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against Rwanda and South Africa, just as the Rwandans are billed to arrive in Nigeria on Tuesday ahead of Saturday’s clash.
Nigeria will face Rwanda in a must-win clash on Saturday before travelling to battle Bafana Bafana in another crucial clash three days later.
After six matches, the Super Eagles are fourth in their qualifying Group C with seven points, six points behind South Africa, who lead the group with 13 points.
Head coach Eric Chelle has named his final 23-man squad for the game. A Prominent absentee in the squad is Victor Boniface, while Chippa United keeper Stanley Nwabali, Victor Boniface and captain William Troost-Ekong headline the list.
According to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Rwanda’s delegation 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 Rwanda Airlines flight at 1.15 pm, and will proceed to Uyo, capital of Akwa Ibom State, by 4 pm of the same day’, the NFF said in a statement.
The match-day seven 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 six points, with Zimbabwe propping up the table on four points.
While the Amavubi have a date with bottom-placed Zimbabwe on match-day eight, the Super Eagles must fly to Bloemfontein to confront group leaders South Africa.
After the next two games in September, their last two games are against Lesotho (away) and the Benin Republic (home) in October.
