Nigeria’s Super Eagles have called off their scheduled international friendlies against Venezuela and Colombia in the United States next month, shifting focus entirely to the CAF World Cup playoffs in Morocco.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) had initially announced the matches for November 14 at Houston’s Shell Energy Stadium and November 18 at New York’s Citi Field. However, after Nigeria secured a playoff spot with last week’s win over Benin Republic, the U.S. tour has been cancelled.
“We included a clause in the contract for this scenario. Now that we’ve qualified for the playoffs, we won’t be proceeding with the games. Our priority is fully preparing for the World Cup,” an NFF official told ESPN.
The CAF World Cup playoffs are scheduled from November 13–16 in Morocco, with Nigeria facing Gabon in the semifinals. The winner will advance to face the victor of Cameroon vs. Congo DR for Africa’s lone ticket to the intercontinental playoffs in Mexico next March.
Ranked 41st globally, Nigeria is the highest-ranked team among the four playoff nations, which also include Cameroon, Congo DR, and Gabon.
These Morocco fixtures will also double as early preparation for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. Nigeria, runners-up at the 2023 AFCON in Ivory Coast, are drawn in Group C alongside Tanzania, Tunisia, and Uganda, beginning their campaign on December 23 in Fez.
Tickets for the canceled U.S. friendlies had already been sold, and the NFF has promised to release details on refunds soon. For now, the Super Eagles are solely focused on booking their place at the 2026 World Cup.
