Head coach Eric Chelle has confirmed that Nigeria will deploy a full-strength squad in their upcoming international friendlies against Poland and Portugal in June, as the team looks to climb the global rankings.
The high-profile fixtures present a valuable opportunity for the Nigeria national football team to strengthen their standing on the international stage. Speaking in a press release, Chelle emphasized his intent to field his strongest possible lineup.
“For the big warm-up games in June against Poland and Portugal, I will feature my first team players. These are games that can push us up the global ranking if we win them,” Chelle stated.
Despite failing to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Super Eagles remain one of Africa’s leading football nations. Their hopes of reaching the tournament ended after a heartbreaking playoff defeat to DR Congo in November 2025, where Nigeria lost on penalties.
However, the team bounced back impressively at the Africa Cup of Nations, securing a third-place finish. Nigeria clinched the bronze medal after a dramatic 4–2 penalty shootout victory over Egypt in the third-place match.
Following their AFCON performance, Nigeria currently ranks third in Africa in the FIFA rankings, behind Morocco and Senegal.
With preparations already underway for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, Chelle will view the June friendlies as a key step in rebuilding momentum and reinforcing Nigeria’s status among the continent’s elite.
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.
