The Super Eagles’ squad for Wednesday’s Poland friendly is taking shape in Warsaw, with Fisayo Dele-Bashiru becoming the 19th player to check in as Eric Chelle’s side put the Unity Cup win behind them and prepare for two stern European tests.
Fisayo Dele-Bashiru touched down in Warsaw on Monday evening, Super Eagles media officer Promise Efoghe confirmed, bringing the number of players assembled at the team’s Polish base to 19 ahead of Wednesday’s international friendly against the hosts. The Lazio central midfielder arrives in good form after a productive end to his Serie A season and is expected to play a significant role in the squad’s preparations as Eric Chelle uses these two European friendlies to continue building his system ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying resumption.
The Poland game on Wednesday will be only the second meeting between the two nations. Nigeria won the first encounter, a friendly held in 2018 under former coach Gernot Rohr, thanks to a second-half penalty converted by Victor Moses. This time around, Poland come into the fixture in poor form, having lost 2-0 at home to Ukraine just days before the Nigeria game, leaving them without a win in their last two matches. For the Super Eagles, fresh from lifting the Unity Cup in London, the mood in camp will be considerably more positive. All the latest from the Super Eagles’ Warsaw camp and the Poland friendly is available at FootballInNigeria.com.ng.
Dele-Bashiru’s Season in Context
The 25 year old has had a mixed but ultimately encouraging 2025/26 campaign in Italian football. Injuries and the demands of Nigeria’s 2025 AFCON campaign in Morocco restricted his availability in the first half of the season, but he gradually became a trusted rotation option for Lazio under coach Maurizio Sarri, making 24 Serie A appearances in total, including 10 starts, and accumulating just under a thousand league minutes.
His most important contribution of the season came on the final day, when his composed equaliser in the 33rd minute helped Lazio recover from a goal down before Pedro sealed a 2-1 home win over Pisa. It was a fitting note to end the campaign on and will have done nothing to harm his case for significant minutes in Warsaw and subsequently in Lisbon, where Nigeria face Portugal on June 8 in the second of their two European friendlies.
Lazio confirmed his permanent purchase from Hatayspor in their March 2025 financial report for 5.4 million euros, signing him on a deal running until June 2028. His future at the Stadio Olimpico remains a live discussion following the club’s decision to replace Sarri with Gennaro Gattuso, who has agreed a two-year contract after leaving the Italy national team job. New coaches often reassess squad compositions, and Dele-Bashiru’s performances this summer with Nigeria will be a useful shop window. Fans who want to back Nigeria in both European friendlies can claim the Bet9ja YOHAIG welcome offer before the Poland kick-off on Wednesday.
A Settled Midfield for Chelle to Work With
Dele-Bashiru’s arrival is part of a midfield group that gives Chelle real variety in Warsaw. Wilfred Ndidi, Frank Onyeka, Raphael Onyedika, and Bruno Onyemaechi are all in the squad, providing a blend of defensive solidity and box to box energy. Dele-Bashiru himself offers something slightly different from all of them: a direct runner with the technical ability developed through Manchester City’s academy and the physical strength that made him a standout in Turkish football before his move to Italy.
The most high-profile absences from the squad remain Victor Osimhen, who stayed home due to what coach Chelle described as a potential club transition, Ademola Lookman, whose club Atletico Madrid requested he be rested after a long season, and Alhassan Yusuf, who had visa issues. Those three in particular would have added considerable firepower to this pool, but the squad assembled in Warsaw is still a capable one, with enough experienced heads to give both Poland and Portugal a genuine game. The Bet9ja promotion code page has the latest available offers for fans following the Super Eagles’ European double-header.
The Full Warsaw Squad
Goalkeepers: Maduka Okoye, Francis Uzoho, Arthur Okonkwo
Defenders: Semi Ajayi, Emmanuel Fernandez, Zaidu Sanusi, Bruno Onyemaechi, Igho Ogbu, Abdullahi Ibrahim
Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi, Raphael Onyedika, Frank Onyeka, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Tochukwu Nnadi, Rafiu Durosinmi
Forwards: Moses Simon, Akor Adams, Terem Moffi, Paul Onuachu
Portugal Next, Then World Cup Qualifying
After Poland, the Super Eagles travel to Lisbon for a June 8 friendly against Portugal. Nigeria’s last meeting with the Portuguese ended in a 4-0 defeat in 2022, a result that still stings for supporters and players alike. These two games, therefore, carry some meaning beyond simple preparation. They are a chance to measure how far this squad has come under Chelle and to build the kind of confidence that difficult World Cup qualifying matches will require later in the year.
Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which begins in the United States, Canada, and Mexico later this month, meaning these friendlies serve a dual purpose: preparation for AFCON 2027 qualifying and the broader task of rebuilding the Super Eagles into a side that will not miss another World Cup. For a player like Dele-Bashiru, who is 25 and entering what should be his peak years, both tournaments represent exactly the stage he has been building towards. New users who want to follow Nigeria’s European friendlies on Bet9ja can use the Bet9ja mobile app for live in-play options during both matches.
📌 Did You Know?
- Fisayo Dele-Bashiru’s full name is Oluwafisayo Faruq Dele-Bashiru. He was born on February 6, 2001 in England and came through Manchester City’s academy from 2009 to 2020 before beginning his professional career at Sheffield Wednesday.
- Dele-Bashiru joined Lazio initially on loan from Turkish Super Lig club Hatayspor in July 2024, with the loan containing an obligation to buy. Lazio confirmed the permanent transfer for 5.4 million euros in their March 2025 half yearly financial accounts.
- Poland lost 2-0 at home to Ukraine in a friendly just days before the Nigeria match, leaving them winless in their last two games and without a goal in their most recent outing heading into Wednesday’s encounter.
- Nigeria’s only previous meeting with Poland was a friendly in 2018 under coach Gernot Rohr, which the Super Eagles won 1-0 thanks to a second half penalty from Victor Moses.
- Nigeria’s last fixture against Portugal was a friendly in 2022 which the European Championship holders won 4-0, their biggest winning margin in any match against an African nation in recent friendly history.
- Lazio’s new coach Gennaro Gattuso took over from Maurizio Sarri having previously managed Italy, AC Milan, Napoli, Valencia, and Olympique de Marseille, giving him one of the more extensive CV’s of any coach in European football at club and international level.
- Alhassan Yusuf, who scored a hat trick as Nigeria beat Jamaica 3-0 to win the Unity Cup, was unable to travel to Warsaw with the Poland squad due to a visa issue, while Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman were also absent for separate reasons.
