Tag: Super Eagles

Uganda Cranes attacker, Uche Ikpeazu, has described his encounter against the Super Eagles as the toughest match he has ever played in his career.

Ikpeazu, who is of Nigerian descent, featured for Uganda in their final Group C fixture against Nigeria at the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

The Super Eagles dominated the encounter and eventually secured a convincing 3–1 victory, rounding off the group stage with a flawless record of three wins from three matches.

Read Also: 16th Round: Super Eagles to face Mambas of Mozambique

Reflecting on the game after the final whistle, Ikpeazu admitted that the contest pushed him to his limits, both physically and mentally, against one of Africa’s most formidable sides.

 “The game against Nigeria was the hardest of my career. I did the best I could,” the powerful forward said.

Despite Uganda’s defeat, Ikpeazu’s remarks highlight the intensity of the match and underline the quality of the Nigerian team, who have emerged as one of the standout sides at the tournament heading into the knockout stages.

Chelle  admits  selection headaches

The Super Eagles have begun  their preparations for the  decisive  knockout stages of the on-going  Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Morocco  2025, starting from  Monday’s  16^th Round of tie as  they

return to training today despite the New Year holiday.

The Nigerian squad resumed light workout sessions in Fez yesterday following the conclusion of the group stage, as attention shifts fully to the knockout phase of the tournament. Ahead of the post–group stage training, players also took part in a media parley, fielding questions from journalists as they looked forward to the next stage of the competition.

Nigeria booked their place in the Round of 16 as Group C winners after a convincing 3–1 victory over Uganda on Tuesday. The result confirmed the Super Eagles as table toppers and underlined their strong showing in the group phase.

However, three players—captain Victor Osimhen, right-back Ryan Alebiosu, and striker Cyriel Dessers—were absent from the training session. Alebiosu is nursing an injury sustained in the win over Uganda, Dessers is reportedly  managing a thigh  problem, while Osimhen was rested as a precaution to keep him fresh for the knockout challenge ahead.

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In a related development, coach Eric Chelle has admitted facing selection dilemma ahead of Nigeria’s Round of 16 clash after a ‘second string’ Super Eagles  eased past  Uganda 3-1 on Tuesday.

The Malian tactician made seven changes to his starting XI in Nigeria’s final Group C match against Uganda, retaining only Victor Osimhen, Bruno Onyemaechi and Calvin Bassey.

While  Osimhen captained the side, Raphael Onyedika stole the spotlight with two second-half goals, while Samuel Chukwueze provided two assists. Paul Onuachu also impressed with his link-up play alongside Osimhen.

Ryan Alebiosu, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Igoh Ogbu further strengthened their cases with solid displays, highlighting the depth available to the coaching crew.

 “I have many options now because everyone can play and make an impact in this team. For me, that is a very good situation,”  Chelle  said after the match.

Nigeria’s commanding performance underlined their squad strength as they prepare for the knockout phase of the going  35^th  AFCON in Morocco where they  are bidding for a fourth title after previous  successes in 1980, 1994 and  2013.

Following the   conclusion of  proceedings in Group F last night, the Super Eagles  will clash with the Mambas of Mozambique in Fes on Monday.

Last night, defending champions , the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire , staged a fight back  from a 2-0 down to defeat  the adventurous Panthères of Gabon 3-2  in an emerging sapping encounter   while  Cameroon pinned Mozambique 2-1 in the other Group F’s encounter.

Read Also: Nigeria, Egypt friendly in doubt as NFF shift camp to Morocco

Results mean Cote d’Ivoire  topped the section with  better goal difference  ahead of Cameroon as both sides polled seven points. Mozambique came third  on three points thanks to their earlier  defeat of Gabon  who finished pointless after three points.  

ROUND OF 16:

3 January 2026

Senegal vs. Sudan- Tangier

Mali vs. Tunisia-Casablanca

4 January 2026

Morocco vs.  Tanzania- Rabat

South Africa vs. Cameroon-Rabat

5 January 2026

Egypt vs. Benin-Agadir

Nigeria vs. Mozambique-Fez

6 January 2026

Algeria vs.  DR Congo-Rabat

Cote d’Ivoire vs. B’ Faso-Marrakesh

Uganda head coach Paul Put has admitted that playing Nigeria at AFCON 2025 proved too difficult for his side following their 3–1 defeat to the Super Eagles.

The loss ended Uganda’s hopes of reaching the Round of 16, with Put acknowledging that qualification should not have depended on facing the three-time African champions.

“I think we shouldn’t have come looking for qualification facing Nigeria,” Put said.

“We had the opportunity against Tanzania to qualify for the round of 16.”

Read Also: NFF issues AFCON 2025 final ultimatum to Chelle

The Belgian tactician also pointed to his team’s lack of experience, noting that the pressure of facing a heavyweight like Nigeria affected his players.

“They don’t have the experience at this level, so they were under pressure,” he explained.

Put praised Nigeria’s quality, describing them as one of the strongest teams in the competition, while insisting Uganda’s elimination stemmed from earlier results rather than the defeat to the Super Eagles.

Nigeria finished the group with a flawless record, while Uganda exited at the group stage.

A strike by Paul Onuachu and a brace by midfielder Raphael Onyedika lifted a remarkably different Nigeria team to a 3-1 win over Uganda in their final Group C encounter at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco.

Onuachu, starting ahead of Akor Adams as Coach Eric Chelle made several changes to the squad that defeated Tanzania and Tunisia in their earlier games, connected perfectly with a pass from the left by Fisayo Dele-Bashiru in the 28^th  minute to give Nigeria the lead, only two minutes after veteran goalkeeper Denis Onyango had stopped a point-blank effort by the Trabzonspor of Turkey forward.

Before then, Nigeria had dominated play extensively, and as early as the 9^th  minute, Samuel Chukwueze’s shot came off the defensive wall after good work by Simon Moses. A teasing pull-out by Chukwueze in the 25^th  minute narrowly missed the head of Onuachu.

Moses himself came close with four minutes left in the first period, as his shot came off the wall after the Eagles poured forward in numbers once more.

In the second half, Rogers Mato came close to connecting with a good cross but missed. Nigeria regrouped and sustained the pressure on their opponents, who had won four of their previous eight encounters before Tuesday evening’s match in Fès.

Wing-back Bruno Onyemaechi side-netted in the 51^st  minute, and six minutes later, goalkeeper Salim Omar, who had come in for the injured Onyango, was red-carded after punching the ball outside his box as Victor Osimhen, Nigeria’s stand-in-captain, loomed towards goal.

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Midfielder Raphael Onyedika, playing his first game at this AFCON, scored Nigeria’s second in the 62^nd  minute after connecting well with a pass by Samuel Chukwueze. Chukwueze and Raphael recreated a similar process four minutes later, leading to Onyedika, who plays his club football in Belgium, scoring his second and Nigeria’s third.

In the 70^th  minute, Paul Onuachu’s header was a little too high, and five minutes later, Rogers Mato scored at the other end as Uganda finished well from a brilliant team move.

Victory gave the Eagles the maximum nine points from their three matches, and they will now certainly meet the third-placed team in Group F, with both third-placed finishers in Groups A (Comoros) and B (Angola) already eliminated. This could be any of Cote d’Ivoire’s Elephants (Cup holders), Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions or the Mambas of Mozambique.

That match comes up on Monday, 5^Th  January in Fès. 

Tanzania’s gutsy 1-1 draw with Tunisia saw the Taifa Stars reach the knockout stage for the first time in their history. They will play host nation Morocco in the Round of 16.

Coach Eric Sekou Chelle believes the Super Eagles can only get better at the on-gong  Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025, after Saturday’s nervy 3-2 win over Tunisia in Fes.

The Super Eagles  put on an impressive display of attacking prowess with Victor Osimhen opening  the scoring a minute before halftime and captain Wilfred Ndidi and Ademola Lookman added two more after the break. But Tunisia staged a late comeback with goals from defenders Montassar Talbi and Ali Abdi that set up a nervy finish.

Victory on Saturday sealed Super Eagles’ qualification  to the 16th  Round even with one first-round fixture still to play against Uganda  tomorrow.

Smarting from that  hard-fought  win against Tunisia on Saturday, Chelle has the Super Eagles to  learn  how to manage games better while also praising the team’s intensity in the encounter.

Read Also: AFCON 2025: Arabinrin Aderonke praises Super Eagles after victory over Tunisia

 “These are the situations that help a team grow; we must learn how to manage games better until the final whistle,” The Franco Malian coach said . “Our identity is based on intensity, aggression without the ball and speed when we regain possession. For most of the game, the players executed that very well.

 “It is never easy to respond when momentum shifts, but the players stayed united and disciplined. That mentality is very important in tournament football.”

He added:  “We have quality going forward but at this level, small details matter. We must remain focused from the first minute to the last.”

Speaking in the same vein,  Ademola Lookman, who  won the Man-of-the-Match award  following his excellent display  with a goal and  two assists, was proud of the team’s resilience.

He said: “We showed character when the game became difficult. These are the moments that define teams in tournaments like this. We are building strong connections on the pitch. Everyone understands their role, and that makes our play more fluid and dangerous.”

 “The coach gives us belief and clear instructions. When you know exactly what is expected, it becomes easier to express yourself.”

Former Nigeria internationals and 2013 AFCON  winners, Emmanuel Emenike and  Kenneth Omeruo, have both pin-pointed  areas  the Super Eagles need improvement in their drive to succeed at the on-going  AFCON  2025 in Morocco.

While Omeruo  advised the coach Eric Sekou Chelle-led side to pluck  its leaky  defence that has conceded three goals in two matches, Emenike feels the team need  some tactical readjustment so that its  talented players can function effectively.  

Nigeria opened  their Group C campaign  with a narrow 2-1 victory over Tanzania, where a lapse in concentration allowed Charles M’Mombwa to equalise before Ademola Lookman found the winner. On Saturday, the Super Eagles raced to a 3-0 lead through Victor Osimhen, Wilfred Ndidi and Ademola Lookman but the defence was breached twice with late strikes from Montassar Talbi and Ali Abdi in a 3-2 win against Tunisia.

“The defence is still porous and we must stop conceding,” Omeruo, speaking on Afrosports as an analyst, said. “It is something the coach must work on in subsequent games. The attack we know is solid, but we can’t keep on conceding goals like we have done so far.”

Yet Emenike, the  2023 AFCON top scorer, was even more forthcoming on the team’s tactical approach even as he  asked Franco-Malian coach Chelle to design the best strategy in order to bring out the best in the players.

Read Also: NIS DG Shaibu congratulates Super Eagles on AFCON round of 16 qualification

 “I think we have a lot of good players but what we don’t have is a game plan; I think we need a game plan,” the  former  West Ham and Olympiacos striker reportedly  said on the ATHLST podcast. “It’s not about throwing players, especially big players like Chukwueze and Victor Osimhen. You need to tell them what you want from them.

 “I like the coach anyway. I was one of the guys who voted for him but at the end of the day, we need to know what the game plan is( because when Tanzania played, they had a game plan).”

“They had the Super Eagles on one side of the pitch before eventually switching the ball to the other side, so they could take on our players one-on-one.

 “They tried to exploit Zaidu Sanusi a lot and their goal came from that. That’s what I’m talking about.

 “We have a lot of top players in our team, but what I’m seeing is that there’s no game plan,” Emenike noted.

The Super Eagles will  round up  their Group C  campaign with a clash against  another East African side, Uganda, in Fes tomorrow.

Former Nigeria International Yakubu Aiyegbeni has urged  the Super Eagles campaigning at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to brace for stiffer challenges  despite their opening 2-1 win against Tanzania.

Weighing  in on Victor Osimhen’s display and the rhythm of Nigeria’s midfield,  he stressed  that the Galatasaray man did much of the hard work but lacked the final break of luck in front of goal.

The Super Eagles created plenty in Fez, building their attacks through wide movement and quick combinations around the box. Alex Iwobi dictated pockets of play, drifting between lines and linking seamlessly with Samuel Chukwueze and Ademola Lookman. That platform meant chances kept falling to Osimhen, even if the finishing touch never quite arrived on the night.

Aiyegbeni pointed to the volume of those opportunities as proof that the framework around the striker is functioning, while insisting that Nigeria cannot stop refining the creative core if they hope to go deep at AFCON 2025.

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“You have Chukwueze, Alex Iwobi… they try to create chances and they create some chances for Osimhen. He was just unlucky today,” Aiyegbeni  reportedly told journalist Toyosi Afolayan  as per Afrikfoot after the Tanzania game. “But we still need creative midfield, but the midfield today with Chukwueze, I think he did very well.”

Iwobi’s influence backed that verdict. The midfielder stitched phases together, drove Nigeria forward in transition, and finished with two assists, underlining how central he has become to the team’s flow.

While Osimhen chased relentlessly, pressed defenders, and occupied the back line, the former Everton man acted as the connector that kept Nigeria’s attacks breathing.

The three time AFCON winners now sits second in group c after the opening day, and attention quickly turns to the next match against Tunisia on December 27 in Fez.