Zimbabwe head coach, Michael Nees, has expressed his admiration for the facilities in Uyo as his team prepares for their crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Nigeria on Tuesday, March 26.

Despite facing an unexpected travel delay, the Warriors have now settled into their base and are fully focused on the challenge that lies ahead. The team is determined to put up a strong performance against the Super Eagles.

The Zimbabwe squad initially faced disruptions in their travel plans as their scheduled flight was unexpectedly cancelled, leading to several hours of delay. However, they finally arrived in Uyo on Saturday, and since then, the team has been acclimatizing to the environment.

Speaking about the team’s accommodation and training conditions, Nees expressed his satisfaction, stating that the arrangements were beyond expectations.

“The hotel is fine, we’ve settled in well. Of course, we were delayed yesterday because our flight was cancelled, so we lost a couple of hours. But overall, everything has been organized properly,” Nees told the Warriors media team.

Zimbabwe MNT in training. Photo | X

Nees also praised the quality of the facilities available, highlighting that they compare favorably to those back in Zimbabwe. According to him, the spacious hotel and quality of infrastructure available in Uyo were impressive.

“The hotel is very spacious, and we cannot complain about that. This was actually the former hotel of the Nigerian team before they moved to another hotel.

“Looking at the facilities here, I must say that we would be happy to have something like this in our own country. It’s really good, and I’m quite impressed.”

Regarding the training facilities, Nees had positive remarks as well. He noted that the training pitch was of high quality and well-maintained, and he expects even better conditions at the match venue.

“The training pitch is soft and not too hard, which is great for the players. The stadium pitch, I expect, will be even better, which is important for a game of this magnitude.”

The Warriors currently sit at the bottom of Group C with three points and are still in search of their first victory in the World Cup qualifiers. Their previous results have not gone in their favor, but Nees remains optimistic about their chances against Nigeria.

“Nobody can predict the outcome of any football match. As a sportsperson, you have to fight until the very end because everybody wants a fair competition,” he said in an interview with The Standard.

Zimbabwe held a closed training session on Sunday morning to fine-tune their strategies ahead of the game. They are scheduled to have their final training session on Monday evening at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, which is also the match venue.

Their opponents, the Super Eagles of Nigeria, will go into this fixture with a boost in confidence following their recent 2-0 victory over Rwanda. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe played out a dramatic 2-2 draw against the Benin Republic in their last match.

Super Eagles teammates celebrate with Victor Osimhen after his goal in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Rwanda. Photo | NFF

With both teams eager to secure crucial points in the qualifiers, all eyes will be on the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, where the match is set to take place on Tuesday, March 26.