Soccer Tejas
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HOUSTON – As the City of Houston gets World Cup ready, Shell Energy Stadium will host a high-profile international friendly between Venezuela and Nigeria on Friday, November 14, with kickoff set for 8:00 p.m. CT.
Nigeria will make its first appearance at Shell Energy Stadium and returns to Houston for the first time since May 31, 2013, when the Super Eagles played Mexico to a 2-2 draw. The three-time African champions are currently in the midst of a strong World Cup qualifying campaign, sitting third in Group C of the CAF qualifiers.
The Super Eagles earned a 1-0 win over Rwanda on Sept. 6 and followed it with a 1-1 draw against group leader South Africa on Sept. 9. Under CAF’s new qualifying format, only the nine group winners advance directly to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while the top four second-place teams will compete in a playoff for a potential spot in the FIFA Intercontinental Playoff in March 2026.
The match marks Venezuela’s return to Shell Energy Stadium for the first time since March 2024, when they played Guatemala to a 0-0 draw. La Vinotinto recently concluded their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, facing Argentina and Colombia in their final two matches, falling 3-0 and 6-3, respectively.
The upcoming friendly also marks a rematch of the two teams’ last encounter on Nov. 14, 2012, in Miami, where Nigeria claimed a 3-1 win over Venezuela. Brown Ideye, Nosa Igiebor, and Ogenyi Onazi found the net for the Super Eagles, while Frank Feltscher scored for La Vinotinto.
This fixture offers Houston soccer fans a rare opportunity to witness two international sides with rich footballing traditions and ambitions on the global stage.
Pre-sale access for Houston Dynamo FC and Houston Dash Season Ticket Members begins Wednesday, Sept. 10 at 10:00 a.m. CT, with details provided via email. Tickets will be available to the general public beginning Thursday, Sept. 11 at 10:00 a.m. CT, exclusively through SeatGeek.
