The Super Eagles of Nigeria have officially begun preparations for Wednesday’s high-profile international friendly against Poland, with 18 players already in camp in Warsaw ahead of the encounter.
A total of 16 players took part in Monday evening’s first training session as the three-time African champions continued preparations for the clash scheduled for the 58,000-capacity Stadion PGE Narodowy.
The encounter marks only the second-ever senior international meeting between Nigeria and Poland. Their previous meeting came in March 2018 when the Super Eagles secured a memorable 1-0 victory in Wroclaw, courtesy of a Victor Moses penalty during preparations for the FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Nigeria arrive in Warsaw buoyed by recent success, having successfully retained the Unity Cup in London under head coach Eric Chelle. The Franco-Malian tactician is now aiming to extend the team’s impressive run and further strengthen the winning mentality within the squad.
Among the players present in camp on Monday were captain Wilfred Ndidi, 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 newly-invited Abdullahi Bewene. Both players were excused from the evening training session.
Speaking after the workout, Chelle stressed the importance of building a strong team culture despite many players having recently entered their off-season break.
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 that 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 Super Eagles trained for 80 minutes under light rain at Stadion Polonii Warszawa, with Tuesday’s official training session scheduled to take place at the match venue.
Both nations narrowly missed out on qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Nigeria defeated Gabon before falling to DR Congo on penalties in the African playoff final, while Poland overcame Albania but suffered a 3-2 defeat to Sweden in the European playoff decider.
Nigeria head into Wednesday’s fixture in strong form, having gone unbeaten in their last five matches, including victories over Zimbabwe and Jamaica in the Unity Cup. Poland, meanwhile, will be looking to bounce back from a 2-0 home defeat to Ukraine in their most recent outing.
The friendly offers another opportunity for Chelle to assess his squad as the Super Eagles continue building momentum ahead of future international assignments.
