By By Elizabeth Ugbo
The Super Eagles of Nigeria held their first training session in Warsaw on Monday as preparations intensified for Wednesday’s international friendly against Poland. The session took place at Stadion Polonii Warszawa under head coach Eric Chelle. Sixteen players participated in the 80-minute workout despite light rain. The match will be played at the 58,000-capacity Stadion PGE Narodowy in Warsaw. Chelle aims to strengthen the team’s winning mentality and secure victory against the White-Reds.
Chelle Focused on Building a Winning Culture
Chelle said creating a culture of winning remains a major objective for the Super Eagles.
“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,” he said.
The Franco-Malian coach acknowledged that several players recently entered holiday mode after their club campaigns. However, he insisted that the team must remain focused on the task ahead.
“There is a culture of winning that we are trying to build in this team, and that mentality is important,” Chelle added.
The coach recently guided Nigeria to a successful Unity Cup title defence in London and hopes to maintain that momentum against Poland.
Squad Continues to Take Shape
Captain Wilfred Ndidi led the players during Monday’s training session. Goalkeepers Maduka Okoye, Francis Uzoho and Arthur Okonkwo were present.
Defenders Bruno Onyemaechi, Zaidu Sanusi, Emmanuel Fernandez and Igoh Ogbu also trained with the team.
The midfield group included Frank Onyeka, Raphael Onyedika and Tochukwu Nnadi. Meanwhile, forwards Moses Simon, Paul Onuachu, Jerome Akor Adams, Terem Moffi and Rafiu Durosinmi took part in the session.
Defender Semi Ajayi arrived after lunch and received a warm welcome from teammates. Fresh invitee Abdullahi Bewene also joined the camp later in the day.
However, both players missed Monday’s training session.
Final Preparations Scheduled for Tuesday
The Super Eagles will hold their official training session on Tuesday at Stadion PGE Narodowy.
The coaching crew plans to fine-tune tactics and strategies before the friendly encounter.
Nigeria will face Poland in only the second senior international meeting between both countries.
Nigeria Looking to Repeat 2018 Success
The Super Eagles defeated Poland 1-0 when both nations last met on March 23, 2018.
The friendly took place at Stadion Miejski we Wroclaw ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Victor Moses scored the winning goal for Nigeria.
Both countries enter Wednesday’s match eager to return to winning ways after narrowly missing qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Poland fell short after losing 3-2 to Sweden in the playoff final. Nigeria also missed out after a penalty shootout defeat to DR Congo in the African playoff final.
Wednesday’s fixture therefore offers both teams an opportunity to rebuild confidence and test their squads for future competitions.
