Nigeria vs Zimbabwe prediction 26.05.2026 | International Friendly

Nigeria arrive in London carrying the tag of tournament favourites once again. The Super Eagles have assembled another talented squad featuring Europe-based stars and several established internationals. Players such as Ademola Lookman, Alex Iwobi, Wilfred Ndidi, and Victor Boniface are expected to provide attacking threat and creativity.

Since Nigeria’s third-place finish at the 2025/26 Africa Cup of Nations, after falling short in the semi-final against Morocco, Eric Chelle’s men’s recent form has been relatively encouraging. They recorded a 2-1 win over World Cup participants Iran and later drew 2-2 with Jordan, still underlining some of the defensive issues they have been dealing with in recent internationals.

However, there are a few concerns heading into the semi-final. Reports suggest that injuries and late squad adjustments have forced some reshuffling within the squad, with a number of players unavailable for selection. Despite those setbacks, Nigeria still possess one of the strongest squads in African football and will be expected to control possession for large spells.

Zimbabwe head into the tournament with growing optimism following several encouraging performances over the past year. After finishing bottom of their Africa Cup of Nations group in 2025, Zimbabwe bounced back with two successive wins over Botswana and Zambia in international friendlies in March. The Warriors have named a competitive squad featuring experienced internationals such as Marshall Munetsi and several Europe- and South Africa-based players.

Munetsi has already spoken publicly about the squad’s excitement ahead of facing Nigeria, viewing the match as valuable preparation for future AFCON qualification campaigns. Zimbabwe’s recent progress has largely been built on defensive organization and midfield discipline rather than expansive attacking football.

There have also been injury concerns within the Warriors camp. Defender Brendan Galloway is reportedly among the players ruled out, while additional replacements were recently drafted into the squad shortly before the tournament.