Nigeria vs Colombia: Super Eagles to face Cafeteros in New York friendly ahead of AFCON 2025

Photo Credit: Citi Field/ IG

Nigeria’s Super Eagles will face Colombia in an international friendly at Citi Field, Queens, on Tuesday, November 18, as part of a packed build-up to next year’s Africa Cup of Nations, Soccernet.ng reports.

Colombia, ranked 14th in the world and already assured of a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, will use the match as part of a two-game tour of the United States.

Néstor Lorenzo’s side meet New Zealand in Fort Lauderdale on November 15 before heading north to New York to take on Nigeria.

For the Super Eagles, it forms one of two friendlies lined up in November.

They meet Venezuela in Houston on November 14, before facing Colombia four days later. Both fixtures are designed to sharpen the squad ahead of AFCON 2025 in Morocco, where Nigeria will open their campaign against Tanzania on December 23 in Fez.

Nigeria Super Eagles. Copyright: IMAGOxAdekunlexAjayix
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The clash in Queens carries added weight, as it is only the third time Nigeria and Colombia have met in history. Their most recent encounter came in 2010 at Milton Keynes, where Lukman Haruna cancelled out Carlos Valdés’ opener in a 1-1 draw. Before that, the teams last met in 1994.

Nigeria’s recent matches have been intense, with Eric Chelle’s side still battling for a place at the 2026 World Cup.

Photo Credit: Super Eagles /X
The three-time African champions sit third in Group C of CAF qualifying after September’s narrow win over Rwanda and a spirited draw with South Africa. Fixtures against Lesotho and Benin in October will prove decisive before the November friendlies take centre stage.

Colombia, meanwhile, arrive in buoyant mood after sealing their World Cup spot with games to spare.

Super Eagles. Photo Credit: NFF Comms
The match in New York gives the South Americans another chance to test themselves against African opposition.

For the Super Eagles, the Colombia friendly is a timely rehearsal ahead of a tournament where expectations are sky high after last year’s near miss in the AFCON final.