Report: Nigeria vs Iran cancelled amid ongoing war in Middle East

Faruq Ibrahim 17:51 - 10 March 2026

The Super Eagles have reportedly pulled out of the mini-tournament in which they were scheduled to play Iran in Jordan.

The Super Eagles will no longer participate in the proposed four-nation tournament involving the Iranian, Jordanian, and Costa Rican national teams, which was initially scheduled for later this month, according to reports.

The NFF had announced that the Super Eagles would jet off to Amman, Jordan’s capital, for the tournament set to be held during the March international window. However, escalating tensions in the Middle East appear to have impacted the competition negatively.

NFF Official’s comments

The tournament was set to kick off on March 27, 2026. However, according to Footy Africa’s Andrew Randa, an NFF official has confirmed that Nigeria will no longer be participating due to logistical issues and the availability of teams.

“Unfortunately, the events of the past few weeks have escalated to this level despite all the arrangements that had been made for the tournament to be held,” the official reportedly said.

“However, I can confirm to you that Nigeria will not be part of that mini-tournament during this international window.

“There were discussions about possibly moving the games to another location, but circumstances surrounding logistics and the availability of teams have been a major challenge.

“I cannot speak for the other teams involved, but I can tell you that Nigeria will not travel to Amman for the tournament.”

In lieu of the mini tournament, the official said the NFF is planning international friendly matches on European soil to fill the window.

“We are currently in talks with another team to play a game, possibly a single friendly match in Europe. That is the priority for us now. If anything new comes up, I will let you know, but the Super Eagles will not be travelling to Amman for the tournament.”

The decision comes amid an ongoing war between Iran and US-Israeli forces, which has affected multiple countries in the region. Iran began retaliatory strikes late in February, targeting US military installations in the region, causing major unrest in the Middle East.

While football in the Saudi Pro League has continued, divisions like the Qatari Stars League have been put on hold in reaction to the shelling.

Besides the mini tournament, which involves the Super Eagles, competitions like the Finalissima, set to be held in Qatar, have also been thrown into doubt.