“Super Eagles prep for AFCON with Guinea warm-up as NFF denies DR Congo, Burkina Faso friendlies.”

By Milcah Tanimu

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has clarified that the Super Eagles will not engage in warm-up matches against DR Congo or Burkina Faso, contrary to earlier reports. NFF Media Director, Ademola Olajire, stated that the federation had not arranged any games with those teams. Instead, the Super Eagles are scheduled to face Guinea on Monday in preparation for the Africa Cup of Nations.

The team is currently in Abu Dhabi, where they had closed training sessions for strategic reasons. All players selected for the AFCON are reportedly present in the camp, except for the injured Kelechi Iheanacho, who will join later. After the Guinea match, the squad will return to Nigeria on January 9 before heading to Cote d’Ivoire.

In other news, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced a 40% increase in prize money for the Africa Cup of Nations, starting from the 2024 edition in Cote d’Ivoire. The winner will now receive $7 million, the losing finalist $4 million, each semifinalist $2.5 million, and each quarterfinalist $1.3 million. CAF President, Dr. Patrice Motsepe, expressed confidence that the increased prize money would contribute to football development and benefit all stakeholders.