The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has been forced to cancel two lucrative friendly matches scheduled to take place in the United States next month, following the Super Eagles’ qualification for the African World Cup playoffs.
The NFF had initially agreed to fixtures against Venezuela on November 14 in Houston and Colombia on November 18 at Citi Field in New York, likely planning the schedule based on either winning their qualifying group or being knocked out of the running for the 2026 finals.
The Playoff Consequence
Nigeria finished second to South Africa in Group C of the CAF qualifiers. Their second-place finish means they must now participate in the playoffs for the four best runners-up from the African groups.
The Super Eagles are now scheduled to take on Gabon in the playoffs next month, while the other fixture pits Cameroon against the Democratic Republic of Congo. These playoff matches will be held in Morocco.
The winners of these playoff fixtures will then advance to an intercontinental playoff tournament in March, where the final two spots for the 2026 World Cup—set to be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada—will be decided. The immediate need for competitive preparation for the playoffs required the cancellation of the commercial friendlies.
It is currently unknown whether the South African Football Association is aware of the opportunity to potentially stand in for the Nigerians in the planned US friendlies.
Our opponents for the African World Cup playoff semi-final are Gabon 🇬🇦.
Win here, reach the final and then the inter-confederation playoffs await.
Save the date 🗓️#SoarSuperEagles | #RoadTo2026 | #FIFAWCQ | #Naija4thewin pic.twitter.com/jJZQH1pJnq
— 🇳🇬 Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) October 15, 2025
Source: Super Sports
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