The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has appealed to the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and Confederation of African Football (CAF) to intervene in the ongoing labour strike that threatens to disrupt the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier between the Super Eagles and South Africa’s Bafana Bafana in Uyo on Friday.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) began an indefinite strike on Monday to demand an improved minimum wage.
This affected various sectors, including aviation, which has grounded domestic flights.
It has been gathered that only 15 of the 23 Super Eagles players have arrived in Uyo, with the remaining eight, including Alex Iwobi, Ademola Lookman, Maduka Okoye and Paul Onuachu, currently in the country but unable to join the squad.
The NFF is reportedly working to resolve the situation, but a senior official expressed concerns that the match might be in jeopardy if the strike continues.
“Hope the strike is shelved soon. Otherwise, it could be dicey to organise the match,” he said.
Despite the challenges, Coach Finidi George and his technical crew conducted a rigorous training session with the 15 available players on Monday.
The team’s media officer, Promise Efoghe, reported that the two-hour session included fitness, shooting drills, and tactical sessions.
It should be noted that FIFA and CAF have already confirmed the Nigeria versus South Africa tie as one of the nine FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers for Friday.
