Super Eagles news: Why the NFF is sticking with Uyo for now, and can Lagos be ready for the next qualifiers?

The Nigeria Football Federation is not ready to move the Super Eagles' home games from Uyo to Lagos, with a senior official saying Lagos is under consideration but Uyo stays the venue for now.

The comments, reported by Football In Nigeria on 16 October, followed the Super Eagles' 3-0 loss to Guinea-Bissau in an AFCON 2027 qualifier. Nigeria have three points from two Group L games, while Guinea-Bissau lead the group on six, the outlet said.

The official was not named in the report. Soccernet earlier reported that the Super Eagles could host November qualifiers in Lagos.

What the NFF says has to happen first

According to Football In Nigeria, the renovated Teslim Balogun Stadium is not yet ready to host an international. NFF inspectors will visit once the Lagos State Government finishes the renovation.

The federation is also considering friendlies at Teslim Balogun to test the facilities and gauge the reaction of fans, and plans to consult players before deciding, the report said.

The official argued that changing a settled home ground could hurt performance. Football In Nigeria noted that the Super Eagles have played most of their home games in Uyo for nearly a decade.

Analysis: The real question is time, not preference

The NFF's stated reasoning is cautious, and the logic is easy to follow: a stadium that has not been inspected cannot host a qualifier. The harder question is the calendar. Football In Nigeria pointed out that with less than a month to the November double-header against Tanzania, there is little room for inspections and approvals if Lagos were chosen.

If the stadium is not signed off in time, Uyo is the only practical option for the next home game, whatever the appetite for change. If it is, the NFF has said it would test the venue with a friendly first, which suggests a move for a competitive match would come later rather than sooner.

Exact dates and venues for the Tanzania games were still unconfirmed by CAF, and reports differ on them, so we have left them out. Soccernet has looked at why the Tanzania games carry so much weight in the race for AFCON 2027. The next update to watch is the NFF's confirmation of the squad and venue once CAF fixes the dates.