Wilfred Ndidi Leads Super Eagles’ Preparations for Poland Friendly in Warsaw

Captain Wilfred Ndidi led 15 other players in the Super Eagles’ first training session in Warsaw on Monday evening as preparations began in earnest for Wednesday’s high-profile international friendly against Poland National Football Team.

The match, scheduled for the 58,000-capacity Stadion PGE Narodowy, will mark only the second senior international meeting between Nigeria and Poland. Their previous encounter came in March 2018 when Nigeria secured a 1-0 victory in Wroclaw, courtesy of a penalty converted by Victor Moses.

Both nations narrowly missed out on qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Poland defeated Albania before falling 3-2 to Sweden in the European playoff final, while Nigeria overcame Gabon but lost to DR Congo in a penalty shootout in the African playoff final.

Among the players present in camp on Monday were goalkeepers Maduka Okoye, Francis Uzoho, and Arthur Okonkwo; defenders Bruno Onyemaechi, Zaidu Sanusi, Emmanuel Fernandez, and Igoh Ogbu; midfielders Frank Onyeka, Raphael Onyedika, and Tochukwu Nnadi; and forwards Moses Simon, Paul Onuachu, Jerome Akor Adams, Terem Moffi, and Rafiu Durosinmi.

Defender Semi Ajayi, fresh from helping Hull City secure promotion to the English Premier League, arrived later in the day alongside new invitee Abdullahi Bewene. However, neither player participated in Monday’s training session.

Head coach Eric Chelle, who recently guided Nigeria to a successful Unity Cup title defence in London, expressed confidence ahead of the clash.

“There is a culture of winning that we are trying to build in this team, and that mentality is important,” Chelle said.

“You can say it is difficult to have games at this time because the players have been in holiday mood for about two weeks, but the job must be done.

“We have 18 players in camp now, and we will work with that. Everybody must work hard, and we will go into the match with the determination to win.”

The Franco-Malian tactician supervised an 80-minute training session under light rain at the Stadion Polonii Warszawa. The team will hold its official pre-match training on Tuesday at the match venue, Stadion PGE Narodowy.

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Nigeria’s last five matches

Nigeria defeated Egypt on penalties after a goalless draw in the AFCON third-place match (17 January 2026)

Nigeria 2-1 Iran (International Friendly)

Jordan 2-2 Nigeria (International Friendly)

Nigeria 2-0 Zimbabwe (Unity Cup 2026)

Jamaica 0-3 Nigeria (Unity Cup 2026)

Poland’s last five matches

Poland 1-1 Netherlands (2026 World Cup Qualifier)

Malta 2-3 Poland (2026 World Cup Qualifier)

Poland 2-1 Albania (2026 World Cup Playoff)

Sweden 3-2 Poland (2026 World Cup Playoff)

Poland 0-2 Ukraine (International Friendly)

The friendly offers both teams an opportunity to continue rebuilding after their World Cup qualification disappointments while testing their squads ahead of future international assignments.

Samuel Ahmadu

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.

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