Nigeria’s amputee football team, the Special Eagles, will aim to qualify for the 2026 Amputee World Cup in Morocco when they begin their Nations Cup campaign against hosts Egypt at the Al Salam Stadium in Cairo on Saturday.
Since the inception of the Nations Cup in 2007, the Special Eagles haven’t missed the tournament, though their only appearance at the World Cup was in Mexico in 2018.
Nigeria is in Group A alongside hosts Egypt, Cameroon, and Burundi. Group B consists of Liberia, Morocco, Uganda, and Senegal, while Group C includes Ghana, Kenya, Gambia, and Algeria. Angola, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, and Rwanda are in Group D.
A place in the knockout stages of the 16-team tournament will see them book a spot in Morocco. Captain Safaradeen Oyeleke is optimistic they will overcome the hurdles.