Poland head coach Jan Urban has expressed concern over the fitness and mental readiness of his players ahead of next week’s international friendly against Nigeria national football team.
The Polish side will face Ukraine national football team on May 31 in Wrocław before taking on Nigeria at the PGE Narodowy in Warsaw three days later.
Speaking during a press conference, Urban revealed that many members of his squad arrived in camp directly from their holidays after completing demanding club campaigns.
“Many players, probably twelve, came to Wrocław straight from their holidays,” Urban said.
“Some finished their season two weeks ago, and it’s hard for them to be constantly training and not thinking about resting for the next season.”
The Polish coach admitted that managing the physical condition of his players will be one of the biggest challenges ahead of the friendlies, hinting that several changes could be made to the squad during the matches.
“We need to pay attention to this. There will be a lot of changes in the squad,” he added.
Despite the concerns, Poland has called up several key players for the fixtures, including Robert Lewandowski, Nicola Zalewski, Jakub Piotrowski and Jakub Kiwior.
The encounter is expected to provide both teams with an opportunity to assess their squads after missing out on qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey 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.
