Nigeria’s Special Eagles have intensified preparations for the 2026 World Amputee Football Federation (WAFF) World Cup as they prepare for a challenging group-stage campaign against defending champions Turkey, Spain and Egypt in Mexico.
The Nigerian national amputee football team is currently training at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja ahead of the tournament, which will take place from November 13 to 22 in San Juan de los Lagos.
With 24 countries set to compete for the world title, the Special Eagles will be aiming to improve on their previous performances and establish themselves among the leading teams in international amputee football.
Nigeria have been drawn in Group B alongside Turkey, Spain and Egypt, leaving the team with a demanding route through the opening stage of the competition.
Turkey enter the tournament as defending champions, while Spain represent a European challenge and Egypt provide familiar continental opposition. Nigeria will therefore need consistent performances across their three group matches to strengthen their chances of progressing.
As part of their preparations, the Special Eagles played a friendly against Right Value Football Academy on October 21, with the encounter ending in a 2-2 draw.
The match provided the team with an opportunity to assess its readiness and work on aspects of its game ahead of the international competition.
Nigeria’s preparations come after the team secured qualification by finishing fourth at the 2024 Confederation of African Amputee Football Nations Cup in Egypt.
The tournament in Mexico will mark Nigeria’s second appearance at the Amputee World Cup, following their debut at the 2018 edition, also hosted by Mexico.
Although the team has yet to establish itself among the competition’s leading contenders, Nigeria have previously demonstrated their ability to compete at continental level.
Their best result at the African Nations Cup came in 2019, when they reached the final in Angola before finishing as runners-up.
That achievement remains an important reference point as the Special Eagles seek to make progress on the global stage.
The upcoming tournament will feature 24 national teams divided into six groups of four, with the participating countries competing for the world championship over 10 days.
For Nigeria, the immediate challenge will be negotiating a difficult Group B, where matches against Turkey, Spain and Egypt could prove decisive in determining their progress.
The Special Eagles will need to combine defensive organisation with attacking efficiency while maintaining discipline throughout the group stage.
With preparations continuing in Abuja, the Nigerian team will hope to arrive in Mexico ready to compete against some of the strongest nations in amputee football.
Their objective will be to translate their training into consistent performances and improve on their previous World Cup appearance as they pursue a successful campaign..
