The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations has come and gone. The Cote d’Ivoire loss is now in the past and the future is here now. There have been injuries to players, others returned to their clubs with their AFCON 2023 form, NFF announced a coaching vacancy and Jose Peseiro has started enjoying his life after the Super Eagles brouhaha.
That is to tell you that so much has happened after the silver medal-winning moments in Abidjan. This is the first time the team has gotten back together since then. This is the first window of the year 2024, and there is a lot at stake already. The Super Eagles are now the third-best team in Africa according to the latest FIFA rankings.
To begin the 2024 international window, the Super Eagles will go up against the Black Stars of Ghana and the Eagles of Mali in friendlies. This was arranged after the publicized friendly match against Argentina was canceled.
So what is at stake in 2024?
Pride and Ranking in March
The international friendlies against Ghana and Mali is not just friendlies. FIFA ranking and pride are at stake. The two teams coming to face Nigeria are West African teams and on top of that Ghana is Nigeria’s arch-rival. With the Super Eagles’ current position in the rankings, a loss will mean a drop in the FIFA rankings.
So this is a big opportunity for the Super Eagles to stamp their feet as one of the biggest teams in Africa and possibly move higher on the FIFA rankings on the global stage.
Jump into the 2026 WCQ in June
After the March window, the next window is June. Club football would be over and it will be time for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The Super Eagles started the qualifiers poorly with two consecutive 1-1 draws against Lesotho and Zimbabwe.
With the memories of the Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifiers, the team will want to avoid a repeat of the same scenes as qualification is even automatic as group winners.
South Africa and Benin Republic will be the two teams the Super Eagles will face in June.
AFCON qualifiers begin (September to November)
As the calendar year winds down, September will see the start of the qualification for Morocco 2025, the 35th Africa Cup of Nations. Although the draws and groupings have not been made, dates for the qualifiers have been set.
With unfinished business at the AFCON, the Super Eagles players will want to play at the tournament proper in Morocco.
So these are what the Super Eagles have lined up in front of them for 2024. The task is huge and each one must be dealt with and completed.