Nine Nigerian players have discovered their UEFA Europa League knockout phase play-offs opponents after Friday’s draw which was conducted at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland.
The draw involved clubs that finished between ninth and 24th in the league phase, with the top eight sides already guaranteed automatic qualification for the round of 16.
The knockout phase play-offs will get underway on February 19, 2026, with the return legs set one week later for February 26.
Nottingham Forest duo Ola Aina and Taiwo Awoniyi arguably face the toughest task of the round after being drawn against Turkish giants Fenerbahçe in a heavyweight showdown.
More Read
Yusuf Bamidele and Ferencváros will take on Bulgarian champions Ludogorets, while Cyriel Dessers’ Panathinaikos will face Czech side Viktoria Plzeň, who could field new Nigerian signing Salim Fago Lawal as well as youngster James Bello.
Collins Sor and Genk will battle Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb, while Kelechi Iheanacho is also set to feature in the play-offs with Celtic after making his return to action in the final game of the league phase. The Scottish champions have been drawn against German outfit Stuttgart.
Franklin Uchenna’s Crvena Zvezda will face a stern test against French side Lille. Elsewhere, Greek side PAOK will face Spanish team Celta Vigo, while Norwegian club Brann have been handed a tough clash against Italian side Bologna.
The eight winners from the knockout phase play-offs will progress to the round of 16, with the next draw scheduled for Friday, February 27, 2026.
Full Knockout Phase Play-off Fixtures
Nottingham Forest vs Fenerbahçe
Ferencváros vs Ludogorets
Panathinaikos vs Viktoria Plzeň
Genk vs Dinamo Zagreb
Celtic vs Stuttgart
Crvena Zvezda vs Lille
PAOK vs Celta Vigo
Brann vs Bologna
© Bold Sports Media. All rights reserved. If sharing, kindly credit Bold Sports as the source and include a link to the original post. Unauthorised use is prohibited.
