THE Super Eagles on Monday conducted a closed-door training session in Rabat as preparations intensified for Wednesday’s high-stakes Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) semi-final clash against tournament hosts, Morocco, News Point Nigeria Sports reports.
Nigeria’s players and officials arrived in the Moroccan capital from Fez earlier in the day and are currently camped at the Rihab Hotel. The training session took place at the state-of-the-art Complexe Mohammed VI, one of Africa’s premier football facilities.
According to the team’s Media Officer, Promise Efoghe, the decision to bar the public and media from Monday’s session was deliberate, aimed at giving head coach Eric Chelle the freedom to carry out intensive tactical drills away from external scrutiny.
“The technical crew requested a closed session to allow the coach work on tactical details without distractions,” Efoghe disclosed.
The Super Eagles’ move to Rabat follows their commanding 2–0 quarter-final victory over Algeria in Marrakesh, a match in which Victor Osimhen opened the scoring before Akor Adams sealed the win. The result ended Algeria’s impressive defensive run in the competition and reinforced Nigeria’s status as serious title contenders.
After the quarter-final, the Nigerian team returned to their designated tournament base in Fez for recovery, in compliance with a Confederation of African Football (CAF) policy that assigns each team a fixed camp for the duration of the tournament.
However, the relocation to Rabat marks the beginning of the final phase of Nigeria’s AFCON campaign, with attention now firmly fixed on the semi-final showdown at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, the venue where Morocco have played all their matches in the competition.
The Super Eagles are chasing their second AFCON final appearance since lifting the trophy in 2013 and finishing runners-up at the last edition in Ivory Coast. A victory over the Atlas Lions would keep Nigeria in Rabat for Sunday’s final, while defeat would see the team travel to Casablanca for Saturday’s third-place play-off.
Efoghe confirmed that the media will be granted access to the opening 15 minutes of Tuesday’s training session before the squad resumes private tactical work.
On the injury front, there were no major concerns within the Nigerian camp. Defender Ryan Alebiosu is continuing his recovery and has shown significant improvement, while captain Wilfred Ndidi has been walking pain-free following a hamstring strain.
However, Ndidi will play no part in Wednesday’s encounter, having been suspended after accumulating two yellow cards earlier in the tournament. The team’s medical staff are expected to reassess his condition to determine whether further scans are necessary.
