AFCON 2025 arrives in Morocco with the Super Eagles walking a tightrope between optimism and unease, a blend of fresh faces, painful absences, and big expectations shaping a campaign that will begin with Tanzania before tests against Tunisia and Uganda in Group C.
Nigeria reset after Cairo setback
Nigeria’s final dress rehearsal ended with a 2-1 defeat to Egypt in Cairo, a night that doubled as a laboratory for head coach Eric Chelle. For the first time in his tenure, he rolled out a three-at-the-back system, then reverted to a back four after the break as he searched for the right balance ahead of Morocco.
There were bright flickers within the defeat. Zaidu Sanusi was punished for ball-watching on the opener, yet he responded with conviction, sending in the cross that led to Chidozie Awaziem’s equaliser before halftime. The game then turned on a goalkeeping change, Stanley Nwabali made way for Amas Obasogie and the newcomer’s misjudgment allowed Egypt to restore their advantage early in the second half, Nigeria’s protests over a possible offside and a potential handball were waved away, and Chelle was booked amid the frustration.
The realignment now begins in Morocco. The Super Eagles will base in Fes for their Group C commitments, a logistical reset that brings the focus back to performances that count, group stage survival becomes the immediate target.
The goalkeeper debate ignites
Few positions stir debate like the gloves, and the discussion has heated up after Cairo. Supporters questioned the selections following Obasogie’s concession and Nwabali’s earlier goal against, the conversation widened because Udinese’s Maduka Okoye, in strong club form, was omitted from the final squad after appearing on an initial list.
See keeper, but this season MADUKA Okoye is ahead of both of them. Last 16 is our last bus stop.
One social media comment captured the mood in blunt terms, but context matters. Friendlies can be painful teachers, and Chelle used Egypt as a live audition to test combinations under pressure. Still, the margin for error narrows in Fes, the first clean sheet of the tournament will be a tonic for nerves and narrative alike.
A cruel blow in defense
The biggest setback in the run-up arrived in central defense. Benjamin Fredrick, 20 years old and on loan at Belgian side Dender FH, was widely expected to make the final squad, instead, a knee injury has ruled him out until the new year.
It is a big blow for us because Benjamin has integrated himself into the team and everybody loves him. He has done so well in the games that he has played. We expected him to be a very big part going into the tournament.
Those words from Brentford’s Frank Onyeka were tinged with admiration and disappointment, a reflection of how swiftly Fredrick rose. His breakthrough came at the Unity Cup in May when injuries forced Chelle to look deeper, Fredrick seized the chance, helped Nigeria beat Jamaica to lift the invitational trophy, then earned trust across four World Cup qualifiers and the pivotal playoff matches in Morocco.
By the time AFCON conversations got serious, he was more than a prospect, he was a contender to start. The injury in Belgium cut that climb short at the worst time, a reminder of how thin margins can reshape a back line.
New faces and a door opens
In tournament football, one door closing can open another. Ryan Alebiosu, the Blackburn Rovers full-back, has been called into the Super Eagles and speaks with the gratitude of a player who knows how hard this level is to reach. The 23-year-old is among five new faces in the squad and is stepping into space created by the injury to Ola Aina, who has been sidelined since September.
Obviously I have always wanted to play for my nation, my country, so it is the best feeling right now so far. It is emotional to me, it is big to me.
The emotion is genuine, the task is stern. Chelle’s needs are practical, he wants a defender who can handle the rhythm and responsibility of Group C fixtures. If Alebiosu translates gratitude into performance, he can turn a short-notice opportunity into a long-term role with Nigeria.
Leadership transition and legacy
As youth steps forward, a giant of the past decade takes a bow. Ahmed Musa, the country’s most capped international with 111 appearances, has retired from the Super Eagles after nearly 15 years. He leaves with a resume that binds generations, AFCON champion in 2013 and the nation’s highest scorer at the FIFA World Cup with four goals.
Being captain of the Super Eagles taught me a lot, about responsibility, patience, and putting others first. It was never about being in charge, but about helping the team and standing up for the badge.
Musa’s farewell message resonated across the fan base, gratitude, humility, and a parting line that felt like a curtain call and a promise, once an Eagle, always an Eagle. Even in his absence, the standards he embodied will shadow the dressing room in Morocco.
Belief meets reality
From the outside looking in, respect is arriving from high places. Former Ivory Coast forward and Chelsea favorite Salomon Kalou believes Nigeria can go all the way in Morocco, even if the label of outright favorite does not fit. He highlights a front line led by Victor Osimhen and complemented by the pace and invention of Ademola Lookman and Samuel Chukwueze, and he points to Wilfred Ndidi for midfield stability.
Nigeria look very strong this year. With Victor Osimhen leading the line, they have one of the most feared strikers in world football.
Kalou’s confidence collides with a sobering ledger. Nigeria were runners-up at the last AFCON in Ivory Coast, but recent results have been uneven, the team lost their warm-up to Egypt and fell in the playoff final for the 2026 World Cup to DR Congo on penalties. That is the tension that frames this campaign, star power and depth on one hand, rhythm and ruthlessness to rediscover on the other.
Group C is a runway and a test. The Super Eagles open against Tanzania next Wednesday, then face Tunisia, then Uganda. For players and staff, the mission is simple in its wording and complex in its execution, collect points, grow performances, and keep the noise outside the camp from dictating the narrative inside it.
The road from Fes
- Settle the spine quickly, clarity at center back and in goal will steady the group,
- Maximize set pieces, Cairo hinted at a threat from throws and corners that can decide tight matches,
- Lean into the star forwards, if Osimhen and the wide men find their rhythm early, Nigeria’s ceiling rises.
A tournament bigger than football
Morocco is staging a celebration that stretches beyond ninety minutes. Nigerian Afrobeats star Rema has arrived to headline the opening ceremony, a showcase built to fuse music, culture, and football. The host nation has lined up events across several cities, a deliberate attempt to make this AFCON a festival that lives beyond the stadium walls.
Inside the Nigerian camp, numbers are swelling and energy is building. Twenty six players trained through the final days in Egypt as the group awaited the arrivals of Moses Simon and Victor Osimhen, proof that the ramp up is reaching its final turn before the tournament whistle blows.
How the pieces fit together
Pick through the pre-tournament threads and a picture emerges. The defense has taken a punch with the loss of Benjamin Fredrick, but the praise from a senior pro like Frank Onyeka underlines how quickly the youngster earned trust and how much his reading of the game would have mattered. The full-back picture has been redrawn by Ola Aina’s injury and Ryan Alebiosu’s call, while the goalkeeping conversation, noisy as it is, will find its answer on the pitch.
Up the field, the reasons for faith are plain. Victor Osimhen alters game plans before a ball is kicked, and the speed and invention around him can stretch any defense. Wilfred Ndidi’s presence is a reminder that control often begins with simple passes, smart positioning, and second balls, and that can free the front three to do damage.
Why the margins matter
AFCON campaigns are built on details. In Cairo, set plays looked like a quiet weapon, and that matters in games where one moment flips the story. Decision making under pressure will decide tight evenings, as will discipline in transitions after turnovers. The friendlies were a sandbox for that learning, the group stage will demand those lessons show up in real time.
There is also the weight of wider expectation. A recent data piece placed hosts Morocco as favorites on home soil with Nigeria ranked fifth among contenders, a sensible calibration given form and familiarity, but tournaments bend to the brave, and Nigeria’s history is full of teams who grew into the event as the nights lengthened.
Voices that shape the mood
Fans have never been shy, and their scrutiny sharpened after Egypt, yet within that noise are shared hopes. Supporters want decisiveness in goal, they want the back line cleaned up, they want their stars to play like stars. Kalou’s faith speaks to Nigeria’s reputation across the continent, Musa’s farewell reminds everyone of the shirt’s meaning, and Onyeka’s defense of a fallen teammate shows the human cost that shadows every list and every injury report.
Football is a game of execution layered over emotion. Nigeria will need both, steel in the single moments that decide outcomes, and togetherness when the pressure creeps.
What comes next
The charter flight to Fes is more than a relocation, it is a reset. Training becomes sharper, tactical plans narrow, and selections harden. The questions from Cairo now meet the answers that only competitive minutes can provide.
Nigeria do not wear the favorite’s crown, yet they carry a contender’s heartbeat. If the Super Eagles align the details, if the new boys hold their nerve, if the leaders in the dressing room imprint calm and belief, then the story that starts against Tanzania can be one that extends deep into Morocco. Preparation has taken the team through setbacks and spotlights, now the tournament will reveal how ready they really are.
