Why Super Eagles return to four‑nation friendly in Turkey

Super Eagles of Nigeria will now participate in the upcoming four-nation friendly tournament after organisers confirmed a change of venue to Turkey, Afrik Foot reports.

This follows the 2013 AFCON champions’ earlier concerns about the war in the Middle East that forced the team to withdraw.

Eric Chelle’s men were slated to battle Costa Rica, Jordan, and Iran in a four-nation preparatory tourney for the 2026 World Cup.

Meanwhile, concerns over player safety had cast doubts among Nigeria Football Federation officials ahead of the games, but the change of venue has now raised hopes.

Why the Super Eagles will play in Turkey?

A top official of the NFF revealed that improved safety assurances influenced the decision to return after the tournament was moved away from the Middle East.

“There has been a lot of speculation as to if the tournament will hold or not and from our end, since the crisis in the Middle East started, we elected not to participate,” the official said as cited by Footy-Africa.

However, the venue switch to Turkey has now cleared the way for Nigeria’s participation.

“However, there has been a change of venue, which is okay with us. The tournament will now be held in Turkey which is quite safe for the players. We have the assurances of the organisers, and we have started communicating with the players too,” the official added.

The development is a swift turnaround for the Super Eagles, who were initially expected to miss out on the tournament due to security concerns surrounding the original host location.

Beyond safety, the matches are also expected to play a key role in helping the team regroup after their last outing at the Africa Cup of Nations.

“It will be a good time to see our boys again in action since the AFCON, but yes, I can confirm to you that we will now play in Turkey and every other arrangement remains the same except the venue,” the official continued.

Attention will now turn to the team selection, with the coaching crew set to name a squad in the coming days. The games could also provide an opportunity for fresh faces to stake a claim for a place in the national team setup.

“Very soon, the coach will release a list of players for the tournament, as we hope to also see some new boys brought into the team,” the official concluded.

The 2025 AFCON bronze medalists will now look to use the tournament to assess new options ahead of their next competitive fixtures.