Super Eagles Camp Opens in Cairo as Players Report for 2025 Africa Cup of Nations

The Super Eagles’ camp officially opened in Cairo on Sunday as Nigeria’s national football team begins preparations for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. The team’s management staff and coaches were already in attendance at the Renaissance Hotel, where the camp is being held.

Goalkeeper Francis Uzoho was the first player to arrive, touching down shortly after 2 a.m. local time, marking the start of full squad mobilisation. Uzoho, one of three goalkeepers in head coach Eric Chelle’s 28-man squad, is returning to the national team setup after more than a year on the sidelines.

Stanley Nwabali, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, and Ebenezer Akinsanmiro were among the early arrivals, with six more players joining them later, including Amas Obasogie, Semi Ajayi, Ademola Lookman, Igho Ogbu, Bright Osayi-Samuel, and Tochukwu Nnadi, bringing the total number in camp to 10.

More players are expected to join the team in the coming hours as Nigeria intensifies preparations for the continental showpiece. The Super Eagles are scheduled to hold their first training session later on Sunday.

As part of their preparations, the team will play a friendly match against the Pharaohs of Egypt on Tuesday at the Cairo International Stadium. Nigeria will head into the 2025 AFCON looking to build on their runners-up finish at the last tournament, where they lost 2-1 to hosts Ivory Coast in the final.

The Super Eagles are aiming for a fourth continental crown, having previously won the competition in 1980, 1994, and 2013. The 2025 AFCON kicks off in Morocco on December 21 and is expected to end on January 18, 2026.