AFCON 2025: Super Eagles to fly a little higher?
by Bradley Gibbs | by Bradley Gibbs
Super Eagles looking super strong on paper
There are some strong squads ahead of the 2025 renewal of the African Cup of Nations, that’s for sure, while we’re going to see a lot of high-quality players take to the field, several of which play for Nigeria.
As we can see below, there are some big-name players in the Super Eagles squad, so we shouldn’t be surprised to see the men coached by Éric Chelle thrive.
Wilfred Ndidi brings lots of top-level experience to the midfield, while someone like Ademola Lookman, who plays for Italian Serie A side Atalanta, has star quality and knows all about performing on the big stage, scoring a hat-trick in the 2024/25 UEFA Europa League Final.
Up top, someone like Victor Osimhen brings pace, power and the ability to score plenty of goals, while Akor Adams and Chidera Ejuke, two in-form players who play for Sevilla in Spain’s LaLiga, add extra offensive punch.
Then there’s the likes of Calvin Bassey, Alex Iwobi and Samuel Chukwueze, who all currently ply their trade in the English Premier League for Fulham. The fact that these three players work together day in, day out could be key for the Nigerians, who are bidding to do slightly better than in 2024, when they lost out to the Ivory Coast in the final.
Fulham duo can make the Super Eagles sore
You could definitely argue that the Super Eagles have a handful of difference-makers in their squad. Both Lookman and Osimhen can deliver match-winning performances, but it could be two of the three Fulham boys that make the Nigerians tick to the point of success.
Firstly, you’ve got Alex Iwobi, whose blend of top-level experience, killer passing and ability to score big goals is what every tournament team needs. Secondly, Chukwueze plays with an exuberance and unpredictability that makes him a nightmare to defend against.
Both players will head to Morocco off the back of some very strong EPL performances, with the Fulham maestros scoring and assisting four goals between them in their last three appearances (at the time of writing).
Iwobi’s ability to play the ball forward with purpose, often leaving the opposition midfield out of the equation will surely help the likes of Osimhen and Lookman to be at their best, while Chukwueze is someone who can be a big contributor in terms of goals and assists. Again, at the time of writing, the 26-year-old has delivered five goals and assists in his last five appearances in the Premier League, making him a confident and hugely in-form player, a player who could do lots of damage if given sufficient game time in Morocco.
Will they right the wrongs of 2024?
The big question is can Éric Chelle’s men improve on that final-hurdle fall? Well, I’d certainly argue that they’ve got the personnel to do so. Is their squad any weaker than it was a year ago? For my money, the answer is a resounding no.
If anything, when we throw someone like Samuel Chukwueze into the mix, I’d say the Nigerians now have more to offer offensively, and that could make all the difference. Of course, on home soil, the Moroccans are strongly fancied to do very, very well, but if anyone is going to stop the hosts, it might just be the Super Eagles, who last won the African Cup of Nations back in 2013.
