Nigeria’s national amputee football team, the Special Eagles, have intensified preparations for the 2026 World Amputee Football Federation (WAFF) World Cup, scheduled to take place in San Juan de los Lagos, Mexico, from November 13 to 22.
The tournament will feature 24 national teams, with Nigeria drawn in Group B alongside defending champions Turkey, Spain and fellow African side Egypt.
The Special Eagles are currently undergoing intensive training at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja as they work to improve their fitness, tactical discipline and team cohesion ahead of the global competition.
As part of their preparations, the Nigerian side played a friendly against Right Value Football Academy on October 21, with both teams settling for a 2-2 draw.
Nigeria will face a demanding group-stage challenge against Turkey, Spain and Egypt, with the team aiming to secure the results needed to progress to the knockout rounds.
The Special Eagles qualified for the tournament after finishing fourth at the 2024 Confederation of African Amputee Football Nations Cup in Egypt.
The 2026 competition will mark Nigeria’s second appearance at the World Cup, following their debut in 2018, when Mexico also hosted the tournament.
On the continental stage, the team’s most notable achievement came at the 2019 African Nations Cup in Angola, where Nigeria reached their first final before finishing as runners-up.
As preparations enter the final stretch, the Special Eagles will be hoping to turn their training efforts into a strong performance in Mexico and improve on their previous World Cup showing.
