AFCON: Nigerian Super Eagles Gets Full House aim Libya Clash

The Super Eagles 23 invited players for Friday’s 2025 AFCON qualifying match against Libya have arrived at their Uyo camp ahead of the crucial encounter at Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Akwa Ibom, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The final players, Sevilla duo Kelechi Iheanacho and Chidera Ejuke, joined the squad on Wednesday morning after the team held their first training session on Tuesday evening. Earlier arrivals on Tuesday included Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, Ademola Lookman, Calvin Bassey, and Moses Simon, bringing the number of players to 19 before Iheanacho and Ejuke completed the squad.

With the full squad now in camp, interim coach Augustine Eguavoen will have all his players available as Nigeria look to secure maximum points against Libya’s Mediterranean Knights and strengthen their lead in Group D, which also includes Benin Republic and Rwanda.

Libya, however, are facing significant challenges ahead of the game. Several key players are unavailable due to injury, while others declined their national team invitations. Despite these setbacks, Libya’s new coach, Nasser Al-Hadhiri, remains determined, with his team currently at the bottom of the group. Al-Hadhiri has set his sights on securing a draw to keep Libya’s qualification hopes alive for next year’s AFCON finals in Morocco.

Speaking at a press conference, Al-Hadhiri acknowledged the difficulty of facing Nigeria’s star-studded side, but expressed cautious optimism, saying, “We realise that winning against Nigeria is difficult, but we seek to return with a draw that will be positive for us and restore our hope in competing for qualification.”

The Libyan camp has been further troubled by reports from Akhbarlibya24, which revealed that three players from Al-Ahly Tripoli—Hamdou El-Houni, Sand Al-Warfali, and Mohamed Al-Munir—have refused to return to the national team, adding pressure on the coach. Despite these issues, Al-Hadhiri remains focused on the task ahead as Libya look to revive their qualification chances after a draw with Rwanda and a loss to Benin.

The return match between Nigeria and Libya is scheduled for October 15 at the Martyrs of Benina Stadium in Benghazi, where Libya hopes to take advantage of home support.

Meanwhile, Super Eagles coach Augustine Eguavoen is confident in his team’s ability to secure victory, even without their star forward Victor Osimhen. Eguavoen has backed other forwards like Victor Boniface and Taiwo Awoniyi to step up in Osimhen’s absence.

“The boys are ready to fight for those three points,” Eguavoen said. “Every second counts, and we know what it means to get the job done and over with as early as possible.”

Despite Libya’s struggles, Eguavoen has warned against complacency, stating, “They (Libya) are down, but it doesn’t mean that they can’t rise because they have a couple of games to play. I know they will come here and fight, and we are also going to fight too.”