Poland Questions Players' Mental Readiness Ahead of Super Eagles Friendly

Poland Coach Jan Urban Raises Concerns About Players’ Fitness and Mental Readiness Ahead of Nigeria Friendly

Poland’s head coach, Jan Urban, has voiced worries about the physical condition and mental preparedness of his squad before the upcoming international friendly against Nigeria.

The national team will face two other World Cup‑absent sides during its summer internationals. The first match is scheduled against Ukraine at the Tarczyski Arena in Wrocław on Sunday, May 31. Three days later, the team will travel to the PGE Narodowy Stadium in Warsaw for a highly anticipated encounter with Nigeria.

Poland began training in Wrocław under challenging circumstances following the disappointment of missing out on World Cup qualification.

“Many players, probably twelve, arrived in Wrocław straight from their holidays,” Urban told reporters at a press conference. “Some finished their season two weeks ago, and it’s hard for them to keep training continuously without thinking about resting for the next season.”

The coach acknowledged that managing the players’ condition will be a major challenge as preparations continue for the friendlies against Ukraine and Nigeria. “We need to pay attention to this. There will be a lot of changes in the squad,” he added.

Among the players called up for the friendlies are Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona), Nicola Zalewski (Atalanta), Jakub Piotrowski (Udinese), and Jakub Kiwior (Porto).