Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle is eager for the team to participate in the 2025 Unity Cup in May, viewing it as an opportunity to know his players better ahead of the World Cup qualifiers in October.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Wednesday confirmed the participation of the Super Eagles in the Unity Cup, with the 17,000-capacity Gtech Community Stadium, home ground of English Premier League club Brentford, as venue.
“The final signatures, seals and indentures were achieved on Wednesday, for this year’s Unity Cup Invitational Tournament involving Nigeria, Jamaica, Ghana and Trinidad & Tobago to go ahead at the 17,250-capacity Gtech Community Stadium in Brentford, West London in the last days of May 2025,” the NFF announced on Thursday.
Chelle noted: “We’re looking forward to taking part in the Unity Cup as it will give us the chance to try out a few new players in different roles, helping us to strengthen our squad before the matches in September and October.”
Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong, shares his head coach’s enthusiasm. saying: “This is a great tournament for us to reunite and continue strategizing for the upcoming World Cup qualifying games.”
Rotimi Pedro, of AfroSport, said: “We are proud to bring back The Unity Cup. It’s been a long journey to revive this important community event, and we’re delighted that fans of African and Caribbean football will once again enjoy top-tier international football at Unity Cup 2025.
“We are grateful to Brentford FC for providing a home at the Gtech Community Stadium and look forward to what, even after 20 years, remains a cultural moment for many who attended previous Unity Cup tournaments. Unity Cup 2025 is a week-long celebration of our interconnected culture in food, music and comedy anchored around elite footballing talents from our home nations.”
The tournament will kick off with the first semi-final on May 27 as Trinidad & Tobago face Jamaica, and the following day, three-time African champions Nigeria will take on four-time African champions Ghana in the second semi-final.
All four teams will return on May 31 for the grand finale, with the losers of the semi-final fixtures featuring in the third-place game, before the final to determine The Unity Cup 2025 champions.
NFF President Ibrahim Gusau said: “We signed on to the tournament as it offers a vital opportunity for our team to bond ahead of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers in September.
“The Unity Cup has a special history, and the Super Eagles have always been part of that journey.”
Marcus Gayle, Brentford FC ambassador and former Jamaican international, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome the Unity Cup back and to host it here at the Gtech Community Stadium.
“This tournament will not only showcase elite football talent from Africa and the Caribbean, but also celebrate the deep cultural and sporting ties between these regions. It’s a brilliant platform for players to shine, and we’re excited about the entertainment and community spirit the tournament brings.”
