Nigeria and Poland Set for Friendly Match in Warsaw

Nigeria and Poland will try to put their World Cup disappointments behind them on Wednesday. The two nations will meet in an international friendly in Warsaw as they look to rebuild after missing out on the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Super Eagles landed in Warsaw on Monday and kicked off their preparations for the big match. Captain Wilfred Ndidi led the first training session with 16 players present.

The game will take place at the Stadion PGE Narodowy, which holds 58,000 fans. Both teams are still recovering from playoff losses that kept them out of next year’s World Cup.

Poland nearly made it to the World Cup. They lost 3-2 to Sweden in the European playoff final after beating Albania to keep their hopes alive.

Nigeria faced similar heartbreak. After beating Gabon in the African playoffs, the Super Eagles lost to DR Congo in the final qualifying round on penalties. This loss means they will wait longer to return to the World Cup stage.

For both teams, this match is a chance to show improvement and build momentum for upcoming competitions.

This will be only the second time Nigeria and Poland meet at the senior international level. Their first match was in March 2018, when Nigeria won 1-0 in Wroclaw thanks to a penalty from Victor Moses as they prepared for the FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Nigeria comes into this match with good form. After finishing third at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, the Super Eagles have not lost in their last five matches. This includes friendly wins against Iran and Zimbabwe, a draw with Jordan, and a strong 3-0 win over Jamaica in the Unity Cup final.

This recent success has raised hopes around Eric Chelle’s coaching. The Franco-Malian coach, who recently helped Nigeria keep the Unity Cup in London, believes the team is developing a stronger winning mentality.

“There is a culture of winning that we are trying to build in this team, and that mentality is important,” Chelle said after the training session on Monday.

“You can say that it is difficult to have games at this time because the players have been in holiday mood for about two weeks, but the job must be done.

“We have 18 players in camp now, and we will work with that. Everybody must work hard, and we will go into the match with the determination to win.”

Among the players already in camp are goalkeepers Maduka Okoye, Francis Uzoho, and Arthur Okonkwo; defenders Bruno Onyemaechi, Zaidu Sanusi, Emmanuel Fernandez, and Igoh Ogbu; midfielders Frank Onyeka, Raphael Onyedika, and Tochukwu Nnadi; and forwards Moses Simon, Paul Onuachu, Jerome Akor Adams, Terem Moffi, and Rafiu Durosinmi.

Defender Semi Ajayi and new invitee Abdullahi Bewene joined later on Monday and are set to join the team’s training.

Poland, on the other hand, is looking to bounce back after a disappointing 2-0 loss to Ukraine in a friendly on Saturday.

With both teams seeking to regain their confidence after missing out on the World Cup, Wednesday’s match promises to be more than just an ordinary friendly.