By Ado Salisu
The stage is set for a weekend thriller as the official draw for the 2026 Davis Cup World Group II tie between hosts Morocco and Nigeria was conducted earlier today at the Conference Hall of the Union Sportive des Cheminots de Tennis du Maroc in Rabat.
Ahead of the draw, a meet-and-greet session was held, bringing together players, coaches and officials from both countries in a cordial atmosphere.
The session, witnessed by representatives of the International Tennis Federation (ITF), set the tone for the formal draw ceremony.
Nigeria’s No. 1 player, Canice Abua, will open proceedings against Morocco’s Karim Bennani in the first singles rubber on Saturday morning. In the second singles match of Day One, Nigeria’s Daniel Adeleye will take on Morocco’s Yassine Dlimi.
Action resumes on Sunday with the crucial doubles rubber, where Morocco will field Younes Lalami and Yassine Dlimi against Nigeria’s Michael Emmanuel and Yusuf Abubakar.
The reverse singles will follow, with Karim Bennani facing Daniel Adeleye, while the potentially decisive fifth rubber will see Yassine Dlimi take on Canice Abua.
All five rubbers will be played as best-of-three sets with tie-breaks on clay.
The tie holds huge significance for Nigeria, who are seeking to end a 50-year winless run against Morocco. Nigeria have lost all four previous Davis Cup meetings between the two nations since 1973.
The Nigerian contingent, which arrived in Rabat on Monday after an intensive training camp in Lagos, is led by Head Coach Benson Ishicheli and was represented at the draw ceremony by NTF Vice President Datti Yusuf.
Nigeria secured promotion to World Group II for the first time in three decades after defeating Uzbekistan 3-1 at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan, in February, while Morocco dropped from World Group I after losing to Colombia.
The winner of the tie will advance to the 2027 World Group I Play-offs, while the loser will remain in World Group II.
Full Order of Play
Day 1 – Saturday, Singles
Canice Abua (NGR) vs Karim Bennani (MAR)
Daniel Adeleye (NGR) vs Yassine Dlimi (MAR)
Day 2 – Sunday, Doubles and Reverse Singles
Michael Emmanuel/Yusuf Abubakar (NGR) vs Younes Lalami/Yassine Dlimi (MAR)
Daniel Adeleye (NGR) vs Karim Bennani (MAR)
Canice Abua (NGR) vs Yassine Dlimi (MAR)