The Nigeria Football Federation has finalized arrangements for friendly matches against Burkina Faso and Cape Verde in January as part of the Super Eagles’ preparations for the 2023 AFCON. These friendlies are scheduled to take place shortly before the AFCON kicks off in Ivory Coast.

The Super Eagles will kick off their 2023 AFCON campaign against Equatorial Guinea in Group A at the Ebimpe Olympic Stadium on January 14. Subsequently, they will face the tournament hosts, Ivory Coast, at the Olympic Stadium of Ebimpé on January 18. The Eagles’ last group-stage encounter is against Guinea Bissau on January 22.

Last week, the Nigeria Football Federation submitted a preliminary 41-man squad to the Confederation of African Football (CAF), with the final 27-man roster set to be unveiled on January 3. In a noteworthy update, the AFCON organizing committee has increased the squad size to 27 players per team, allowing for four additional players compared to previous editions.

The Super Eagles’ training camp is scheduled to commence in Saudi Arabia on December 29, where the initial phase of preparations will be conducted before the team travels to Ivory Coast.