Super Eagles midfielders Wilfred Ndidi and Alex Iwobi are brimming with determination as Nigeria prepares for its 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Benin Republic and Rwanda. The national team is eager to rebound from recent setbacks during the next international window.
Nigeria will face Benin Republic on Saturday, September 7, in Uyo, followed by a match against Rwanda three days later. Both teams are also part of Nigeria’s 2026 World Cup qualifying group. Benin Republic, under the guidance of former Nigeria coach Genort Rohr, secured a victory over the Super Eagles in their previous encounter in Abidjan in June.
Speaking after their EPL clash at Craven Cottage, where Iwobi’s Fulham defeated Ndidi’s Leicester City 2-1, the players expressed their resolve to turn the team’s fortunes around.
Ndidi emphasized the need for a strong response: “To be honest, it’s not where we want to be, so we have to regroup and correct some mistakes, then go all in those matches; we definitely need the win. They had their win in Abidjan; we see what happens in Uyo,” he stated via the Super Eagles’ X account.
Iwobi, who scored the decisive goal for Fulham, echoed a similar sentiment: “We have a lot to prove. I always say we have a lot of quality in the team, and hopefully, we can get the points we need to qualify because it’s something we want to achieve,” he said.
He added, “The same way the fans demand is how we demand from ourselves too as players; we know how we do it for our club sides; we just want to do that consistently for Nigeria as well.”
Despite the players’ optimism, the Nigeria Football Federation has yet to appoint a permanent coach, with less than two weeks remaining before the qualifiers. The team has been without a coach since Finidi George’s resignation following Nigeria’s underwhelming performance in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Benin Republic in June. Swedish manager Janne Andersson and former Ivory Coast coach Hervé Renard are among the candidates linked to the position.
The Super Eagles are poised to put in a strong performance as they seek to redeem themselves and advance in the AFCON qualifiers.
