Nigeria have landed in Fez with fresh scars and fierce ambition. The AFCON 2025 Super Eagles narrative now shifts from regret to response as Eric Chelle leads a group determined to turn hard lessons into a title push in Morocco.
The mission is clear, win a fourth Africa Cup of Nations after reaching the final in the previous edition. The tournament kicks off on December 21, and Nigeria begin Group C against Tanzania on December 23, then Tunisia on December 27, and Uganda on December 30, all in Fez. The team arrived in Morocco in high spirits, and the coach has spoken of lifting the gloom that followed failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
What changed since the World Cup miss
The wounds from that qualifying exit still sting. Legendary winger Segun Odegbami captured the mood of many when he admitted he has stepped back emotionally from the team’s journey. In his frank assessment, the failure was a fair reflection of performance, a hard truth that still echoes across fan spaces and pundit desks.
“I don’t think we truly deserved a place at the World Cup because we didn’t work hard enough. We were not just good enough,” Odegbami said, adding that he is not following preparations or going to the AFCON.
There have also been distractions off the pitch. Reports of unpaid wages surfaced, and the camp had to absorb the sudden international retirement of William Troost Ekong, while NFF President Ibrahim Gusau publicly hailed Ahmed Musa after the veteran’s international farewell. Through it all, Chelle has been urged to keep his focus and be, as one former captain put it, stubborn in pursuit of the objective.
The group and early tests in Fez
On paper, Group C offers a pathway, yet it demands respect. Nigeria face Tanzania first, then renew a familiar duel with Tunisia, before a potentially decisive meeting with Uganda. Godfrey Oboabona, who knows the trenches of tournament football, preached vigilance and humility, a reminder that no team is a free pass in modern African football.
“The Super Eagles must treat every match like a final. They need determination and concentration from start to finish,” Oboabona told Completesports, while backing Nigeria to top the group if they stay disciplined.
Garba Lawal echoed a different challenge, the mindset. He admires the talent in this generation but wants to see visible fire, especially after the World Cup stumble. In his words, the players must show greater character, they must fight for their country.
Voices around the camp and a vow from the talisman
Amid the criticisms and cautionary notes, one voice has grown louder with belief. Sunday Oliseh has backed Chelle’s men to go all the way in Morocco, insisting the squad has the quality to silence doubters if they lock in on a single objective. He advised the coach to hold firm and cut out the noise that swirls around every Super Eagles camp.
“Contrary to what many may think, I am very optimistic about our chances at the AFCON. To start with, the players have one goal in mind, which is the AFCON,” Oliseh told The Observer.
Inside the camp, Victor Osimhen has taken ownership of the moment. After the team’s arrival in Fez, the striker sent a direct message to those making the trip to Morocco, a pledge to match their commitment with performances worth the journey. “I’m happy to be in Morocco and I can’t wait for the start of AFCON. See you guys at the stadium,” he said in a video shared on Instagram.
The goalkeeper question and the Maduka Okoye omission
Every tournament story has a selection debate, and this one sits in goal. Maduka Okoye was on the provisional 54 man list but did not make the final 28. Sunday Oliseh offered context, pointing to the heavy criticism the Udinese goalkeeper endured after his most recent outing with the national team, scrutiny that he felt crossed a personal line.
“The last game he played for Nigeria, I remember this boy being torn into bits online, on television, everywhere,” Oliseh said on his podcast, adding that the backlash was so intense he would have told him to walk away if he were family.
The response from fans has been mixed, with some lamenting the decision and voicing concern about alternatives. Inside a short tournament, clarity and calm in the penalty area can define a team’s ceiling, so Chelle’s call here will be one of the defining threads of Nigeria’s campaign.
Five Super Eagles players to watch in Morocco
Victor Osimhen, the spearhead
Top scorer in the AFCON 2023 qualifiers with 10 goals in six games, Osimhen arrives as the continent’s most feared front man. Now at Galatasaray, he had already scored 12 goals in all competitions by December in the 2025 to 2026 season, form that underlines his blend of speed and ruthless finishing. Nigeria will lean on the striker’s movement and willpower, the qualities that often drag tight games toward the Super Eagles, and the talisman has made it clear he is ready.
Ademola Lookman, the creator between the lines
Lookman has become indispensable for Atalanta and Nigeria, a clever attacker who can operate wide or as a support striker. He has three goals and one assist in Serie A this season, a steady base considering earlier disruption from a transfer saga. His one against one threat and eye for the disguised pass make him a vital complement to Osimhen, and his link play often sets the tempo in the final third.
Alex Iwobi, the conduit in midfield
At Fulham, Iwobi’s value is found in the details, ball progression, angles, and rhythm. Two goals and two assists this season only hint at his influence, because he remains one of the Premier League’s best at moving the ball into dangerous areas. For Nigeria, he is the compass between defence and attack, and when Iwobi controls the flow, the Super Eagles tend to find better field position and higher quality chances.
Samuel Chukwueze, the dribble and dagger
Chukwueze’s toolkit is simple and devastating, burst past the fullback, cut in off the right, and finish with a cultured left. Now with Fulham, he averages over three successful dribbles per match, a gauge of how often he can unbalance back lines. He has produced two goals and four assists in the current season despite limited starts, and his pace gives Nigeria a direct route when countering compact defences.
Raphael Onyedika, the anchor with authority
Onyedika has been a steady riser at Club Brugge, bringing legs, tackles, and security to a midfield that needs a reliable screen in front of the back four. He competes comfortably at Champions League level and often posts passing accuracy above 88 percent even under pressure. His presence frees creative teammates to take risks, and his reading of the game helps Nigeria reset quickly after turnovers.
What Eric Chelle must get right
There are reassuring signs, from the energy at arrival to the clarity in messaging, yet tournament football is unforgiving. Former international Mohammed Gambo distilled the task, the coach needs to understand his players, and the tactics must fit the tools. The right structure should elevate Iwobi’s influence, create room for Lookman between lines, and keep supply steady to Osimhen, with Chukwueze stretching teams on the break.
Small margins will decide knockout games, so set piece focus and in game management must be sharp. Nigeria’s pathway to a deep run can be boiled down to three steps, start fast in Fez, manage key minutes for the stars, keep clean sheets in tight games.
Pressure, pride and the power of response
Football heritage weighs heavy in Nigeria, which explains the sharp critiques and demands that never fade. Odegbami’s disappointment, Lawal’s challenge to the squad’s mentality, and Oboabona’s warning about complacency are not contradictions, they are different faces of a larger truth that standards matter. The players have spoken too, Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey, and Samuel Chukwueze have all said the group is wiser after the last tournament, a nod to experience that should steady nerves when the lights come on.
Oliseh’s optimism offers balance, a reminder that Nigeria’s talent pool remains the envy of the continent when aligned behind a clear plan. His endorsement carried a direct plea to the coach to stay locked in on the group’s single minded objective, and that focus is often the separator when tournaments hit turbulence.
Fans in Morocco and the bond that fuels a title chase
Supporters do not simply watch, they invest time, savings, and emotion. Osimhen’s message to fans in Morocco acknowledged that reality, a promise of commitment for those packing the stands in Fez. The relationship between pitch and terraces often becomes a force multiplier at AFCON, especially when a team leans into its identity and plays with conviction.
For a nation still processing a World Cup letdown, a strong group stage can reset the narrative quickly. Win the duels, run with purpose, show the character that legends demand, those are the cues that turn caution into belief. If Chelle’s men hit those cues early, the noise fades and the Super Eagles can let their football do the talking.
Bottom line in Morocco
The ingredients are familiar, a star striker in form, creators who can tilt games, a midfield anchor who steadies the structure, and a coach challenged to fit it all together. The opposition is ready and unafraid, yet Nigeria’s ceiling remains among the highest in the field. One mantra should guide the days ahead, respect every rival, trust the plan, and deliver the details under pressure.
If that happens, the journey that began with doubts in December can finish with celebration in January. The schedule is set, the statements have been made, and the stakes are clear. Now comes the proving, three group games to build momentum, a knockout path to test nerve, and a chance to give the fans in Fez and beyond the ending they crave, a trophy lifted under the Moroccan sky.
