At least six Super Eagles players have arrived early in Morocco ahead of the official opening of Nigeria’s 2026 FIFA World Cup Playoffs camp in Rabat.
Despite the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) stating that the camp would officially open on Monday, November 10, our correspondent reports that Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey, Samuel Chukwueze, Tolu Arokodare, Wilfred Ndidi and Olakunle Olusegun touched down at the Rive Hotel in Rabat on Sunday.
The early arrivals have now joined coaching staff and team officials, with the remainder of the squad expected to fly in directly from their clubs today. Coach Eric Sekou Chelle has invited 24 players for the high-stakes play-offs, starting with Thursday’s semi-final clash against Gabon at the 22,000-capacity Complexe Sportif Prince Heritier Moulay Al Hassan.
The team will then focus on the second semi-final between Cameroon and DR Congo, which is scheduled for Friday at El-Barid Stadium, also in Rabat.
Meanwhile, plans to fly out a large contingent of Nigerian supporters have been derailed by visa issues.
“The plan is off because of problems of securing the fans’ visas into Morocco,” an NFF official disclosed.
Initially, as many as 200 fans were expected to travel to Rabat to cheer the Super Eagles in person. With the setback, the Nigerian embassy in Morocco is reportedly mobilising Nigerian students and residents in Rabat to provide vocal support during the matches.
Despite the absence of fans, the Eagles are focused on preparation, with Coach Chelle emphasising the importance of unity, sharp training, and executing the game plan ahead of the crucial fixtures.
The Super Eagles will kick off their World Cup Playoff campaign against Gabon on Thursday at 5:00 p.m. local time.
