Nigeria’s senior national football team, the Super Eagles, are scheduled to open their training camp on March 24, 2026, in the coastal city of Antalya, Turkey, as they prepare for a reshaped international friendly campaign.
The team’s preparations will center around a four-nation invitational tournament, though the original host nation has been changed due to geopolitical instability in the region.
The tournament was initially planned to take place in Jordan, with fixtures slated for the capital, Amman. However, escalating military tensions across parts of the Middle East prompted security assessments that ultimately deemed the original stadiums unsuitable for hosting international matches.
Organisers subsequently made the decision to relocate the entire tournament to Antalya, a city that has become a frequent neutral-ground hub for football friendlies due to its established infrastructure and relative stability.
With the change of venue confirmed, the Super Eagles’ itinerary has been set. The team will kick off its campaign against Iran on Friday, March 27, with kickoff scheduled for 4:00 p.m. local time in Antalya.
Their second and final match of the invitational tournament will see them face the original hosts, Jordan, on Tuesday, March 31, under the lights with an 8:00 p.m. start.
The tournament format will provide each team with two competitive fixtures designed to simulate the demands of official competition.
For Nigeria, the two matches represent a critical opportunity for building momentum and cohesion. The Super Eagles have not played competitive football since their appearance at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where they concluded their campaign with a third-place playoff encounter against Egypt.
As the team now looks ahead to the qualifying rounds for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, the upcoming friendlies are expected to serve as a vital testing ground.
The coaching staff is anticipated to use the camp and matches to evaluate squad depth, experiment with tactical setups, and integrate both returning mainstays and emerging talents ahead of the resumption of official continental qualifiers.
