Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong has said that the team’s objective is clear and that is to secure all three points against Benin Republic when the two West African nations do battle.
Twenty-two players attended the Super Eagles’ first training session ahead of a potentially-explosive 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match against neighbours, Benin Republic on Thursday.
With 10 points from four matches, seven goals for and none against, and top of their Group D, the Eagles will walk with an extra bounce into the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny, a familiar terrain.
That was the very same facility where they upended the aspirations of Guinea Bissau, Cameroon and Angola at the 34th African Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals in Cote d’Ivoire earlier in the year.
It was also the venue where in the summer, they were slated by two goals to one by the Cheetahs (who have been forced by lack of a CAF-approved facility in their country to adopt Abidjan as home) in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying game in which they scored first.
“The stadium is a familiar one for us and we have good memories from the AFCON. We will rather focus on the positive results we have taken away from here and work hard for another good day in the office on Thursday,” Troost-Ekong told the NFF media.
“It is not going to be easy because the Beninoise are also chasing a ticket to the final tournament. However, our objective is clear: three points on the night,” the Super Eagles’ captain said on Tuesday.
