The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has officially called off two planned international friendlies against Venezuela and Colombia, which were scheduled to take place in the United States this coming November.
The Super Eagles‘ path toward the 2026 FIFA World Cup has been fraught with challenges, as their initial qualifying matches left their chances hanging by a thread.
Throughout much of the qualification campaign, Nigeria found themselves lagging in third place behind Benin Republic and South Africa, struggling to secure a top spot until the final, crucial fixture.
In a dominant performance, the Super Eagles emphatically defeated Benin Republic 4-0 at the Godwin Akpabio Stadium on Tuesday, ensuring their progression to the World Cup playoff stage.
NFF Terminates Planned Friendly Matches
According to insiders within the NFF, the cancellation of the friendlies was prompted by Nigeria’s successful qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup playoff round, which is scheduled to be held in Morocco next month.
The primary reason for scrapping the matches is a scheduling conflict. The friendlies were originally set during the same period as the critical playoff games, leading the federation to focus entirely on preparing the team for these decisive encounters.
“The friendlies have been called off due to a clash with the World Cup playoff fixtures in Morocco this November,” an NFF spokesperson confirmed. More details here.
Moreover, the initial agreement for these friendlies included a clause permitting cancellation should Nigeria advance to the World Cup playoff stage.
Originally, Nigeria was slated to face Venezuela on November 14 and Colombia on November 18. However, the Super Eagles will now confront Gabon in the World Cup playoff semi-final on November 13 in Morocco, with the final playoff match scheduled for November 16.