Nigeria's Davis Cup team is set to face Morocco in the 2026 Davis Cup World Group II tie in Rabat, seeking to break a 30-year-old jinx and secure a historic first win against their opponents. The team, led by Head Coach Benson Ishicheli, has been preparing intensively and arrived in Rabat on Monday. Nigeria secured promotion to World Group II for the first time in three decades after a 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan in February.
The two-day clash, scheduled for September 19-20, will be held at the Union Sportive des Cheminots de Tennis du Maroc. The encounter is significant, as Nigeria has lost all four previous Davis Cup meetings against Morocco since 1973. The Nigerian contingent was represented at the draw ceremony by NTF Vice President Datti Yusuf. A meet-and-greet session was held on Friday, where players, coaches, and officials of both countries interacted in a cordial atmosphere.
Nigeria's No.1, Canice Abua, will open proceedings against Morocco's Karim Bennani in the first singles rubber on Saturday morning. In the second singles of Day One, Nigeria's Daniel Adeleye will take on Morocco's Yassine Dlimi. The crucial doubles rubber will be played on Sunday, with Morocco presenting the pair of Younes Lalami and Yassine Dlimi against Nigeria's Michael Emmanuel and Yusuf Abubakar.
The reverse singles will follow, with Karim Bennani facing Daniel Adeleye, and the potentially decisive fifth rubber pitting Yassine Dlimi against Canice Abua. All five rubbers will be best-of-three tiebreak sets on clay. The tie holds huge significance for Nigeria, who are seeking to break a 50-year winless run against Morocco.
The Nigerian team, led by the Secretary General of the Nigeria Tennis Federation, Shammah Aliyu Makpa, believes the early arrival in Rabat is a deliberate strategy to allow the players to acclimatise to the weather, adjust to the court surface, and get into the right frame of mind for the showdown. Aliyu expressed confidence in the players' mental and physical state ahead of the tie.
Shammah Aliyu Makpa appreciated the support from the National Sports Commission (NSC) and other partners, citing the NSC's financial and moral support as a motivating factor. He also acknowledged the Country Club of Lagos for allowing the team to use their facilities for over three weeks of camping in Lagos.
Nigeria Tennis Federation President, Victor Ochei, is optimistic about Nigeria's chances of progressing past Morocco, describing the future of Nigerian tennis as "very bright". Ochei acknowledged that the encounter against Morocco will not be easy but insisted that Nigeria has the quality and mental strength to overcome the challenge.
Key points
- Nigeria seeks to break a 30-year jinx and secure a first-ever win against Morocco in the Davis Cup.
- The 2026 Davis Cup World Group II tie against Morocco is a significant opportunity for Nigeria to rewrite history.
- The winner of the tie will advance to the 2027 World Group I Play-offs, while the loser remains in World Group II.
