Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi and defender Christian Akpan have arrived at Nigeria’s training camp in Lisbon as preparations continue for next week’s international friendly against Portugal.

Iwobi joined his teammates on Thursday after missing Nigeria’s recent friendly against Poland, providing a significant boost to the squad ahead of the highly anticipated fixture.

Akpan, who plays for Belgian side KRC Genk, is one of the new faces in the squad and has received his maiden invitation to the senior national team following a number of injuries and withdrawals within the squad.

The young defender will be aiming to impress the coaching crew and potentially earn his first appearance for the Super Eagles when Nigeria takes on Portugal.

Meanwhile, winger Samuel Chukwueze also arrived in camp on Friday, increasing the number of players in training to 22 as preparations for the encounter gather momentum.

Chukwueze had been unavailable for Nigeria’s recent fixtures, including the Unity Cup and the friendly against Poland, following the death and burial of his mother.

His return is expected to strengthen the attacking options available to head coach Éric Chelle as the team fine-tunes its plans for the match.

The Super Eagles are scheduled to face Portugal at the Estádio Municipal de Leiria on Wednesday in what is expected to be a stern test against one of Europe’s top footballing nations.

The fixture will provide Chelle with another opportunity to assess his squad and build cohesion ahead of future competitive engagements.

With key players gradually arriving in camp, the technical crew is expected to intensify preparations in the coming days as Nigeria seeks to put together a strong performance against the World Cup-bound Portuguese side.