By Milcah Tanimu
Super Eagles midfielders Wilfred Ndidi and Alex Iwobi are fired up as they prepare for the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Benin Republic and Rwanda. The Nigerian national team is focused on bouncing back in the next international window, aiming to secure their place in the tournament.
Nigeria is set to face Benin Republic on Saturday, September 7, in Uyo, followed by a match against Rwanda three days later. Interestingly, both Benin and Rwanda are also part of Nigeria’s 2026 World Cup qualifying group. Benin Republic, managed by former Nigeria coach Genort Rohr, defeated the Super Eagles in their first-leg encounter in Abidjan last June.
Ndidi and Iwobi, who recently faced each other in an English Premier League match at Craven Cottage, expressed their determination to help the Super Eagles recover from recent setbacks. Ndidi, a midfielder for Leicester City, emphasized the importance of regrouping and making necessary corrections ahead of the qualifiers.
“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,” Ndidi shared via the Super Eagles’ official social media account.
Iwobi, who scored the decisive goal in Fulham’s 2-1 victory over Leicester on Saturday, echoed Ndidi’s sentiments. He highlighted the team’s potential and the need to translate their club performances to the national stage.
“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,” Iwobi stated. “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 team’s preparations, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has yet to appoint a permanent coach, with the qualifiers just around the corner. The Super Eagles have been without a head coach since Finidi George’s resignation following Nigeria’s disappointing performances 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 have been rumored as potential candidates for the role.
