AfriPulse
October 20, (THEWILL) — Nigeria has withdrawn from two scheduled friendly matches in the United States next month following their qualification for the World Cup African playoffs.
The Nigeria Football Federation had arranged fixtures against Venezuela and Colombia but must now cancel due to their playoff commitments.
The Nigerian team had expected either to win their qualifying group outright or be eliminated from contention for the 2026 finals.
However, they finished second behind South Africa in Group C, earning a place in the playoffs reserved for the four best runners-up from African groups.
The friendlies were set for November 14 in Houston against Venezuela and November 18 at Citi Field in New York against Colombia.
Nigeria will now face Gabon in the playoff round, whilst Cameroon takes on the Democratic Republic of Congo. Both matches will be held in Morocco next month.
The victors from these playoffs will progress to an intercontinental playoff tournament in March, where the final two World Cup places will be determined.
The cancellation leaves both Venezuela and Colombia seeking alternative opponents for their November international windows.
Nigeria’s focus now shifts entirely to their playoff preparation against Gabon.
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Jude Obafemi, THEWILL
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
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