The Super Eagles flight delay that stalled Nigeria’s build-up to Friday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Tanzania left the team’s Uyo camp empty on Monday night, with not a single invited player having arrived in Akwa Ibom as of the evening.
PUNCH Sports Extra, reporting from Uyo on Monday night, said the players may have been affected by delays and changes in flight schedules. Its correspondent spent the day at the Victor Attah International Airport and found no trace of the squad: “We were at the airport from morning until evening on Monday, and none of the players arrived. When the last flight of the day landed, we checked the manifest, but no player was on board.”
That leaves head coach Eric Chelle waiting alone in Uyo. The coach arrived in the early hours of Monday and was later joined by one of his assistants, Daniel Ogunmodede, but with the players still to report, preparations for Friday’s crucial qualifier are yet to gather momentum.
Super Eagles flight delay: Chelle waits alone in Uyo
The timing could hardly be worse. The Super Eagles camp officially opened on Sunday, and the first training session is scheduled for Tuesday at the practice pitch of the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium. Tuesday’s session was billed as the moment Chelle’s 24-man squad finally came together — instead, the coach now faces a condensed build-up, with players expected to land in Uyo on Tuesday and go straight into preparations for a match that is only three days away.
Nigeria cannot afford a slow start to the week. The Super Eagles sit second in Group L with three points from their opening two fixtures — a 2-1 win over Madagascar in Uyo followed by a 3-0 defeat in Bissau against Guinea-Bissau, who lead the group on six points. With Tanzania already guaranteed a place at the 2027 tournament as co-hosts, only one ticket is left in the group, and Nigeria need maximum points from this double-header to strengthen their grip on it.
Chelle named his 24-man squad on Saturday without star striker Victor Osimhen, who is out after knee surgery and is expected to be sidelined for around five weeks. The call-up includes goalkeepers Stanley Nwabali and Arthur Okonkwo, defenders Olaoluwa Aina and Benjamin Frederick, midfielders Tochukwu Nnadi and Samson Tijani, and forwards Moses Usor and Taiwo Awoniyi, with Turkey-based defender Chibuike Nwaiwu and Czechia-based wing-back Abdullahi Bewene also in the party.
Tanzania’s flight also pushed to Tuesday
Nigeria’s opponents have been hit by the same travel disruption. Tanzania were due to land in Uyo on Monday, but PUNCH reports their flight has also been rescheduled to Tuesday. The Taifa Stars had planned to arrive five days early — they opened camp in Uyo on Sunday — but will now lose a day of their own preparations.
Tanzania have made a slow start to Group L, losing 2-0 to Guinea-Bissau before drawing 1-1 with Madagascar in their opening two matches. With their place at the finals already secure as co-hosts alongside Kenya and Uganda, the qualifiers are preparation for the continental showpiece — but they will still want to make life difficult for a Nigerian side under real pressure.
What the delay means for Friday’s qualifier
The first leg is scheduled for Friday, 13 November at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, with the return leg four days later at the Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar. Chelle’s programme for the week had Tuesday’s training open to journalists, players available for interviews at the team’s base on Wednesday, and the pre-match press conference on Thursday — a schedule that now depends on how quickly the squad can be assembled after Tuesday’s arrivals.
For more on the qualifiers, check today’s predictions. The Super Eagles have little room for error: Guinea-Bissau’s six points mean dropped points in Uyo would leave Nigeria chasing the group for the rest of the campaign. Chelle will hope Tuesday brings the players — and the momentum — that Monday never delivered.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA) — collage by SportsBuddy
