Lagos ready for Nigeria vs Uzbekistan Davis Cup

Nigeria have intensified preparations for their Davis Cup World Group II tie against Uzbekistan by moving their training base to the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, the venue for the February 7 to 8 encounter.

The move from the National Stadium, Surulere, is part of final match readiness as the players familiarise themselves with the courts and surroundings ahead of the two day contest.

Uzbekistan, which arrived in Lagos on sunday have also settled in and held their first training session on Monday. The visitors travelled with three players and four officials, with their leading player, Khumoyun Sultanov, joining the squad after his recent title win at the ITF M15 tournament in Kuwait.

Sultanov, 27, reached the second round of the Australian Open qualifiers in 2025 and achieved a career high ATP ranking of 216 in January. He is joined by Ilya Ignatov, Abdulaziz Usmonjonov, and 17 year old Sukrob Saidov.

Nigeria will be led by national number one Daniel Adeleye, alongside Canice Abua and Michael Emmanuel, all selected based on national rankings. Uche Oparaoji returns to the squad, while Abubakar Yusuf is set to make his Davis Cup debut after representing Nigeria at the Africa Games in Ghana.

Despite Nigeria being ranked 74 in the world and Uzbekistan 49, confidence remains within the Nigerian camp. According to the Nigeria Tennis Federation, hosting the tie reflects the country’s progress in international tennis.

Federation president Victor Ochei said the opportunity to host was a result of recent performances.

“Nigeria has been consistent at this level and that consistency has earned us trust,” Ochei said. “Hosting this tie shows that we can compete and also deliver at international standard.”

He confirmed that the National Sports Commission is supporting the federation in funding and event delivery.

A 15 member Central Planning Committee, chaired by Victor Hembah, has been set up to oversee preparations in collaboration with the International Tennis Federation, the National Sports Commission, Lagos State Government, security agencies, and the host club.

President of the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Dr Adeyinka Adewusi, said the venue is ready for the tie.

“The courts and facilities are prepared, and we are ready to host,” Adewusi said. “This is an important event for Nigerian tennis.”

The match will take place on the centre court of the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club this weekend.