The Super Eagles camp in Uyo didn’t grow beyond 15 players on Monday as eight of the players, Semi Ajayi, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Calvin Bassey, midfielder Frank Onyeka, forward Paul Onuachu, Maduka Okoye, Alex Iwobi and Ademola Lookman were left stranded in Lagos and Abuja respectively due to the ongoing nationwide strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), which grounded flight operations.
Ajayi, Osayi-Samuel and Bassey couldn’t board connecting flights from Lagos to Uyo while Onyeka and Onuachu were held up in Abuja.
“The quintet of defenders Semi Ajayi, Bright Osayi-Samuel and Calvin Bassey, midfielder Frank Onyeka and forward Paul Onuachu are already in the country and trying to make their way to Uyo to join the 15 other players already on ground, as the Super Eagles’ preparations for Friday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against South Africa’s Bafana Bafana swing into new gear”, Director of Media and Communications of the NFF, Ademola Olajire said in an email sent at 4:37 pm on Monday.
“A total of 15 players trained on Monday morning in Uyo, with head coach Finidi George telling the players afterwards that the three points at stake in Friday’s encounter must end up in Nigeria’s kitty.
“While the quintet (three in Abuja and two in Lagos) is being expected at the team’s Ibom Hotel and Resorts, the trio of midfielder Alex Iwobi, goalkeeper Maduka Okoye and forward Ademola Lookman are expected to arrive in the country on Tuesday (today)”.
New Eagles media officer, Promise Efoghe, confirmed that Okoye, Lookman and Iwobi had arrived the country but were also unable to book connecting flights to Uyo following Monday’s NLC strike.
“Eight more players including Maduka Okoye, Semi Ajayi, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Calvin Bassey, Frank Onyeka, Alex Iwobi, Ademola Lookman and Paul Onuachu are yet to join the squad. They are in the country but unable to arrive camp because of the ongoing Nigeria Labour Congress strike, which has stalled domestic flights”, Efoghe stated.
The team only had one training session on Monday with 15 players who had been in camp while eight players are still expected.
“There was no training session on Monday evening, as the players get countenance intensive sessions on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, hopefully with a full house”, Olajire added.
The Super Eagles camp opened in Uyo last Friday with a few of the players trickling in for the crucial 2026 World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Benin Republic.
Nigeria will face South Africa at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on Friday, 7 June before travelling to Ivory Coast to face Benin Republic on Monday, 10 June.
Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) trio Sodiq Ismail, Kenneth Igboke, who was called up to replace the injured Victor Osimhen and Enyimba goalkeeper Ojo Olorunleke, Tanzania-based Benjamin Tanimu, Ibrahim Olawoyin, Chippa United goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, Wilfred Ndidi and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru were the early birds in the Eagles camp.
AC Milan forward, Samuel Chukwueze, also arrived camp on Saturday despite concerns about his fitness. The 24-year-old picked up an injury during the Rossoneri’s Serie A fixture against Cagliari on 11 May. Subsequently, he missed Milan’s last two Serie A matches against Torino and Salernitana.
Early Sunday morning, they were joined by Bayer Leverkusen forward Victor Boniface and Club Brugge midfielder Raphael Onyedika, bringing the total to 13 players.
Others in the camp are Kelechi Iheanacho, Terem Moffi, Chidozie Awaziem and Alhassan Yusuf.
Members of organised labour on Monday commenced a nationwide indefinite strike over the Federal Government’s refusal to raise the proposed minimum wage from N60,000.
Ahead of Friday’s fixture, Bafana are expected to arrive in the country on Wednesday.
The Eagles are third in the 2026 World Cup qualifying group with two points from two matches and need to win both games to get their campaign back on track.
