Nigeria’s Special Eagles Intensify Training Ahead Of Mexico 2026 Amputee World Cup
By AUGUSTUS ISICHEI
NIGERIA’S national amputee football team, the Special Eagles, have intensified preparations for the 2026 World Amputee Football Federation (WAFF) World Cup in Mexico.
The tournament will run from 13 to 22 November in San Juan de los Lagos. Meanwhile, 24 national teams will compete for the global title.
Nigeria face a difficult group-stage challenge. They have been drawn in Group B alongside defending champions Turkey, Spain and fellow African representatives Egypt.
Currently, the team are training intensively at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja. Through the sessions, the Special Eagles hope to improve their fitness, tactical discipline and understanding ahead of the competition.
Furthermore, they tested their progress in a friendly against Right Value Football Academy on October 21. Both teams settled for a 2-2 draw.
Nigeria will need consistency and strong organisation to progress from the group. In particular, their matches against Turkey, Spain and Egypt could determine their chances of reaching the knockout stages.
The Special Eagles qualified for the championship after finishing fourth at the 2024 Confederation of African Amputee Football Nations Cup in Egypt.
This will be Nigeria’s second World Cup appearance. Their first came in 2018, when Mexico also hosted the competition.
However, the team have achieved greater success on the continental stage. At the 2019 African Nations Cup in Angola, Nigeria reached their first final before finishing as runners-up.
As the tournament approaches, the Special Eagles will aim to turn their intensive preparations into a strong international performance and improve on their previous World Cup outing.
