Super Eagles Call Off US Friendlies to Focus on 2026 World Cup Play-Offs

Nigeria’s Super Eagles have officially cancelled their planned international friendly matches against Venezuela and Colombia in the United States, as the team shifts full focus to the upcoming African play-offs for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The two matches, earlier scheduled for November 14 against Venezuela at the Shell Energy Stadium in Houston and November 18 against Colombia at Citi Field in New York, will no longer take place following Nigeria’s recent qualification for the continental play-off stage.

According to officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the decision was made to allow the team adequate time to prepare for the decisive qualification fixtures, which will determine Africa’s representative in the intercontinental play-offs.

> “We had a clause in the contract for the friendly games covering this eventuality, should we qualify for the play-offs,” an NFF official confirmed to ESPN. “Since that has now happened, we won’t be going ahead with the matches. Our focus now is on qualifying from Africa and progressing to the intercontinental play-offs.”

The Super Eagles secured their place in the playoffs after a commanding 4–0 victory over Benin Republic last week — a win that reignited hopes of returning to the World Cup stage after missing out on Qatar 2022.

The African play-offs will feature Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo, and Gabon in a knockout format consisting of two semi-final matches and a final. The winner of the final tie will represent Africa in the intercontinental playoffs for a place at the 2026 World Cup, to be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Nigeria, currently ranked highest among the four teams, will face Gabon in the semi-final clash, while Cameroon will take on DR Congo in the other fixture. The winners of both matches will meet in the final to decide who advances to the global stage.

The NFF emphasized that the decision to cancel the friendlies was strategic, aimed at prioritizing qualification and ensuring the team remains in peak condition ahead of the crucial fixtures.

With a squad packed with top-performing talents across Europe, the Super Eagles are expected to begin an intensive training camp in preparation for the play-offs, with technical adjustments and player fitness taking precedence over non-competitive games.

The Federation also assured fans that alternative friendly arrangements could be considered after the play-offs, depending on results and scheduling opportunities.

Nigeria last appeared at the World Cup in Russia 2018, and the team remains determined to secure a return to the global football stage in 2026, continuing its reputation as one of Africa’s most consistent and competitive sides.