Ten players have officially reported to the Super Eagles’ camp as Nigeria ramps up preparations for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.
The camp opened on Sunday at the Renaissance Hotels in Cairo, with the coaching staff and backroom team already in attendance. Goalkeeper Francis Uzoho was the first to arrive, touching down shortly after 2 a.m. local time, marking his return to the national team after over a year on the sidelines. Uzoho is one of three goalkeepers named in head coach Eric Chelle’s 28-man squad.
He was followed by Stanley Nwabali, with Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Ebenezer Akinsanmiro joining later, bringing the initial total to four. Six more players — Amas Obasogie, Semi Ajayi, Ademola Lookman, Igho Ogbu, Bright Osayi-Samuel, and Tochukwu Nnadi — subsequently arrived, completing the first group of ten players in camp. Additional squad members are expected to join in the coming hours as preparations intensify.
The three-time African champions are scheduled to hold their first training session later on Sunday evening. As part of their build-up, the Super Eagles are set to face Egypt’s Pharaohs in a friendly at the Cairo International Stadium on Tuesday.
Nigeria will head into the 2025 AFCON aiming to build on their runners-up finish at the last tournament, where they lost 2–1 to hosts Ivory Coast in the final. The team is targeting a fourth continental title, having previously lifted the trophy in 1980, 1994, and 2013. The tournament kicks off on December 21, 2025, and will conclude on January 18, 2026.
Meanwhile, concerns have emerged over the fitness of Stanley Nwabali, the Super Eagles’ first-choice goalkeeper. According to Supersport.com, quoting Chippa United head coach Vusimuzi Vilakazi, Nwabali sustained injuries to his ankle and hand, which may require surgery. If surgery is necessary, he could miss the AFCON.
Vilakazi said, “I doubt it. Looking at the state of his injury, I don’t think he will make it, but he is confident he will recover very soon. You understand a player wants to be there at the Cup of Nations finals. The reality is that, for now, he is still injured. It is an ankle injury, but the hand also needs an operation because he has been playing with that injury for a while, and he aggravated it while in Morocco. We hope for the best that he might find himself there.”
The Super Eagles’ camp will continue to strengthen as the squad finalises preparations for one of Africa’s most prestigious football tournaments.
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