Super Eagles AFCON Camp Grows to 24 Players as Preparations Intensify

The Super Eagles’ training camp in Cairo, Egypt has swelled to 24 players as preparations for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations gather pace, with the arrival of more squad members in the build-up to their pre-tournament friendly against Egypt.

Defenders Chidozie Awaziem and Salim Fago Lawal were the latest to join the group, linking up with several teammates and taking the total number of players currently training under head coach Eric Chelle to 24.

The expanded camp reflects Nigeria’s strategy of having most of the final 28-man squad in place early to work on tactical cohesion, fitness and match readiness ahead of the continental showpiece in Morocco. The team is due to face Egypt in a friendly at Cairo International Stadium as part of their final preparations before departing for AFCON.

The players in camp include a mix of senior internationals and emerging talents, blending experience with youthful energy as Nigeria targets continental success.

Editorial

There are moments in a football campaign when numbers stop being mere figures and begin to represent strategic intention and collective ambition. The swelling of the Super Eagles’ camp in Cairo — now hosting 24 players — is one such moment. It signals not just logistical readiness, but a conscious commitment to preparation, unity and tactical clarity ahead of one of Africa’s most demanding stages: the Africa Cup of Nations.

Bringing the bulk of the squad together well before Nigeria’s first competitive AFCON fixture provides more than a training advantage; it fosters cultural and tactical cohesion. In tournaments like this compressed, intense and unforgiving the nuances of teamwork, understanding and shared rhythm often make the difference between underachievement and glory.

Head coach Eric Chelle’s decision to have this nucleus of players assembled early reflects an awareness that premium competitions are won as much in the intervals between matches in hotel corridors, on recovery pitches, in tactical briefings — as they are under the glare of matchday spotlights. Each arrival, from seasoned veterans to rising stars, enhances the pool from which clarity of roles and trust will emerge.

This phase of camp is also a psychological anchoring point. Players arriving in Cairo are not merely adding to a list they are stepping into a shared narrative one that carries the weight of national hope and historical expectation. Indeed, turning individual talent into collective purpose is the older, subtler work of great teams.

The friendly against Egypt, looming on the horizon, will be a test not of tactics alone, but of the mental cohesion that grows only through time spent together. A team that trains, eats, rests and debates together begins to think as one and in tournaments like AFCON, that unity often becomes the quiet architect of success.

Did You Know?

1. The Super Eagles camp has grown steadily, starting with early arrivals such as Francis Uzoho and Stanley Nwabali, before swelling to 24 as more players linked up in Cairo.
2. Head coach Eric Chelle originally named a 54-man preliminary squad ahead of AFCON 2025 before trimming it to the final 28-man list.
3. Nigeria’s AFCON preparations include a high-profile friendly against Egypt on December 16, 2025, at the Cairo International Stadium.
4. The Super Eagles are drawn in Group C at AFCON 2025, alongside Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania.
5. Goalkeeper Francis Uzoho has rejoined the national setup after more than a year away from the team, declaring his readiness for AFCON duty.