By Dayo Awoniyi
The Nigeria senior men’s national team will open camp in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on September 1, as preparations begin in earnest for their make-or-break 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and South Africa.
Head coach Eric Chelle has already submitted his provisional squad for the crucial doubleheader, with Nigeria needing nothing short of perfection to revive their qualification hopes.
Currently sitting fourth in Group C behind South Africa, Rwanda, and Benin Republic, the three-time African champions face mounting pressure.
Only the nine group winners across Africa are guaranteed automatic places at the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, while four of the best runners-up will fight through playoffs for an intercontinental ticket.
The Eagles return to action on September 6 when they host Rwanda at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, before traveling to Bloemfontein three days later to battle South Africa’s Bafana Bafana at the Free State Stadium.
Nigeria will draw confidence from their most recent meeting with Rwanda in Kigali on March 21, when Victor Osimhen’s first-half brace sealed a 2–0 victory in the presence of Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
