Tanzania to Arrive Uyo on Tuesday Morning for AFCON Qualifier vs Nigeria
The Taifa Stars of Tanzania are expected to arrive in Uyo on Tuesday morning ahead of their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match against the Super Eagles of Nigeria, SportsRation exclusively reports.
The Tanzanian team will land at Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo, as preparations begin for Friday’s Matchday Three encounter at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium. Kick-off is scheduled for 5pm.
However, preparations for the important fixture have yet to gather pace, as both teams are still waiting for their players to arrive in Uyo.
Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle arrived in Uyo in the early hours of Monday, while one of his assistants, Daniel Ogunmodede, joined him later in the day.
As of Monday evening, no Super Eagles player had arrived at the airport. Tanzania’s arrival was also postponed until Tuesday following changes to their flight schedule.
A source at the airport told our correspondent that officials waited throughout Monday but did not receive any of the players.
Tanzania have had a difficult start to their qualifying campaign, losing 2-0 to Guinea-Bissau before playing a 1-1 draw against Madagascar.
However, the Taifa Stars have already secured automatic qualification for the 2027 AFCON as co-hosts and will use the qualifiers to prepare for the tournament.
Their qualification means only one ticket remains available in Group L, with Nigeria currently occupying second place behind Guinea-Bissau.
The Super Eagles have three points from their opening two matches. Nigeria started with a 2-1 victory over Madagascar in Uyo before suffering a 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau away from home.
Chelle has named a 24-man squad for the double-header against Tanzania but will be without striker Victor Osimhen, who is sidelined by injury.
Other players called up include goalkeepers Stanley Nwabali and Arthur Okonkwo, defenders Ola Aina and Benjamin Frederick, midfielders Tochukwu Nnadi and Samson Tijani, and forwards Taiwo Awoniyi and Moses Usor.
Nigeria will host Tanzania in Uyo on Friday before travelling to Dar es Salaam for the return fixture four days later.
The Super Eagles will be hoping to secure maximum points from both matches to strengthen their chances of claiming the remaining qualification spot in Group L.
