The 2025 Unity Cup is set to kick off in London with Nigeria aiming to defend the trophy they won 21 years ago. The Afro-Caribbean international football tournament, returning for the first time since 2004, will feature Nigeria, Ghana, Jamaica, and Trinidad & Tobago competing from May 27 to May 31 at the Gtech Community Stadium.

The tournament opens with Jamaica facing Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday night, while Nigeria will battle Ghana on Wednesday. Winners of both fixtures will advance to Saturday's final, with losing teams competing for third place.

Nigeria enters the tournament as the highest-ranked team among the four participants, sitting at 44th in FIFA's world rankings. Jamaica follows at 62nd, Ghana at 77th, and Trinidad & Tobago at 102nd. The Super Eagles' status as current holders—having defeated the Republic of Ireland 3-0 in the 2004 final—along with their superior ranking makes them potential favorites.

However, football analyst Saheed Afolabi of Clear TV suggests that Nigeria's coach Eric Chelle should use the tournament primarily as preparation for upcoming World Cup qualifiers rather than focusing solely on winning.

"The Unity Cup is going to be a tough battle between the four teams. All the four teams have chances of winning the tournament," Afolabi told Daily Post. "But one thing Nigeria or the coach [Chelle] should focus on is the possibility of not playing to win but rather look at it from the competitive angle of the players."

Afolabi emphasized that the tournament presents an excellent opportunity to test home-based players from the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) alongside the invited foreign-based professionals. He noted that the Super Eagles are currently struggling in their World Cup qualification campaign and need to win their remaining qualifiers to secure a spot in the tournament.

"The focus should not be on winning the Unity Cup but rather on preparing and branding the Super Eagles to be a formidable force in the world of football," he added, recalling how a mix of home-based players led by the late Stephen Keshi won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Super Eagles have already arrived in London and held their first training session in preparation for the tournament. Reports indicate that 20 players have joined the camp, including nine home-based players who will have the chance to prove themselves on the international stage.

While Nigeria-Ghana matches are traditionally highly competitive regardless of form or rankings, this Unity Cup presents both nations with an opportunity to evaluate their squads ahead of more crucial competitions.