Two nations who narrowly missed out on qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will meet on Wednesday evening as Poland host Nigeria in an international friendly at the PGE Narodowy in Warsaw.
The White-Reds saw their World Cup dreams ended by Sweden in the UEFA qualifying playoffs, while Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the tournament were crushed after a dramatic penalty shootout defeat to DR Congo in the CAF qualifying decider in Rabat last November.
Nigeria arrive in Poland in positive spirits after defeating Jamaica 3-0 to win the 2026 Unity Cup in London for a fourth time.
Following the triumph, as revealed on their official X handle, the Super Eagles have landed safely in Poland, where they were welcomed by members of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation, Poland. Head coach Eric Chelle had earlier confirmed his squad for the Unity Cup and June international friendlies.
Poland, meanwhile, continue searching for consistency after their heartbreaking playoff defeat to Sweden. Despite twice fighting back during the clash in Solna, Jan Urban’s side eventually lost 3-2 following Viktor Gyokeres’s dramatic 88th-minute winner.
The White-Reds attempted to respond positively in Sunday’s friendly against Ukraine at the Wroclaw Stadium but instead suffered a disappointing 2-0 defeat, with first-half goals from Roman Yaremchuk and Andriy Yarmolenko sealing victory for the visitors.
As a result, Poland have now failed to keep a clean sheet in five consecutive matches, conceding at least twice in three of those fixtures. Urban’s men are also in danger of suffering three straight defeats for the first time in over three years.
However, Poland can draw confidence from their impressive recent record in friendly matches, with the loss to Ukraine ending a 12-match unbeaten streak in friendlies stretching back to 2018.
Nigeria head into the clash in much stronger form and currently sit ninth places above Poland in the FIFA World Rankings. The Super Eagles are unbeaten in their last five outings, recording four wins and one draw since their AFCON semi-final elimination against Morocco earlier this year.
Despite missing out on consecutive World Cups after their playoff heartbreak against DR Congo, Eric Chelle’s side have shown resilience, losing only once in regulation time across their last 19 matches.
Their latest victory came in the Unity Cup final against Jamaica, where Alhassan Yusuf scored twice alongside a Terem Moffi strike in an impressive 3-0 triumph. Nigeria have now scored at least twice in each of their last four friendly matches, underlining their attacking quality heading into Warsaw.
The Super Eagles will also take confidence from history, having defeated Poland 1-0 in the only previous meeting between the two nations back in 2018.
Team News
Poland are expected to rotate parts of their lineup following the defeat to Ukraine. Karol Swiderski and Jakub Kaminski are both pushing for starting roles, while Jan Bednarek could return to the defence after being left on the bench last time out.
Youngsters Mateusz Zukowski, Oskar Wojcik, Kacper Potulski and Norbert Wojtuszek could also receive more minutes after making appearances from the bench on Sunday. Veteran striker Robert Lewandowski is expected to start once again as he continues to build on his remarkable tally of 89 international goals.
Nigeria will be without several important names for the friendlies against Poland and Portugal. Victor Osimhen misses out amid uncertainty surrounding his future at Galatasaray, while Ademola Lookman has been withdrawn as a precaution due to fitness concerns.
Samson Tijani and Unity Cup final hero Alhassan Yusuf are also unavailable because of visa complications. However, captain Wilfred Ndidi, Moses Simon and Fulham midfielder Alex Iwobi remain in the squad, with Iwobi potentially set to earn his 100th cap for the Super Eagles.
Possible Lineups
Poland possible starting lineup:
Bulka; Kedziora, Bednarek, Kiwior; Pyrka, Zielinski, Piotrowski, Zalewski; Swiderski, Lewandowski, Kaminski
Nigeria possible starting lineup:
Okoye; Osayi-Samuel, Ajayi, Bassey, Onyemaechi; Ndidi, Onyeka, Iwobi, Simon; Adams, Onuachu
How to Watch
| Platform | Details |
|---|---|
| TV Broadcast | SuperSport 9, beIN SPORTS |
| Live Stream | DSTV Stream |
| Kick-off Time | 07:45pm (WAT) |
Match Prediction
Softfootball predicts Poland 1-2 Nigeria
Nigeria’s attacking momentum and Poland’s recent defensive struggles could make this a difficult evening for the hosts, although Robert Lewandowski’s experience always gives the White-Reds a chance.
