AFCON 2025: Will Nigeria End Their Trophy Drought in Morocco?

For several years, Morocco has not hosted a Cup of Nations tournament, so this will surely excite fans of the sport as the tournament is set to return to Morocco after more than 4 decades. The whole of the African continent is elated to access the cup after so long, AFCON 2025 is set to run from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026 so make sure to set aside some time and mark the dates as this cup will be loaded with fierce competition from the likes of Morocco, Nigeria, The Ivory Coast, Egypt, and of course, the reigning champions Senegal.

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If you are a long term follower of Nigeria’s football history, then you are surely aware of the fact that the country has not lifted the cup since 2013 where they triumphed over Burkina Faso with a 1 nil scoreline. Before that, the Super Eagles lifted the trophy in 1994 and 1980. In total, 3 AFCON titles have been won by the Eagles with 8 finals contended in the history of Africa's Football.

Last year, they most recently finished as runners-up in the tournament, hosted in Ivory Coast. There, Nigeria fell short in the final against against the Elephants, yet, they came away with the realization that Nigeria is inching” closer than ever to claiming the crown of African football.

Is the Current Nigerian Squad Their Golden Generation?
With Nigeria looking to compete at the AFCON 2025, it is the current depth and quality of the squad that is making headlines. It is being anticipated that this will be the most marketable lineup the Nigerian Football Federation has ever put together.

Victor Osimhen
As the African Footballer of the Year in 2023, Osimhen is now Nigeria’s most lethal footballing asset. He did score 26 goals in the 2022/23 season, where Osimhen played for Napoli and helped the side clinch the Serie A title. Currently, he is on loan to Galatasaray and last season, he contined his fine form with 26 goals and 5 assists. Defenders struggle to deal with his pace and physicality, and most of all his clinical finishing.

Ademola Lookman
As an Atalanta player, Lookman not only played as one of the standouts at the tournament, but also continued his red-hot form in the 2023 AFCON which saw his team finishing 4th in the tournament. His link-up play with Osimhen will probably be Nigeria’s biggest asset during the June tournament in Morocco.

Wilfred Ndidi & Alex Iwobi
As a midfielder, Ndidi is a good defensive player, and Iwobi is a good creative one, making them a strong midfield partnership. Both have experience in the English Premier League are now playing in its lower tier, as Iwobi is now with Fulham, and Ndidi still plays for Leicester City.

Emerging Firepower: Chukwueze, Boniface and Tella
Chukwueze and Boniface are harshly joined by Tella, who unknowingly assists as a champion with Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga. These three players with AC Milan, and Bayer Leverkusen, and provide the fast pace essential for breaking through difficult opposition.

Solid Details
The three players strengthen an unproven defensive unit in Nigeria with a strong pair. Given more time, they will blossom into one of the strongest defensive pairs on the continent.

Can Nigeria Dominate AFCON Beyond 2025?
With the current under 21, and the focus on the next few years on nurturing them, and players with the potential of simply playing a few friendly games,

The axis of the team still consists of players under 28. This is a cornerstone of their ability to maintain a strong team synergy. This combined with their position in some of the upper tier clubs in Serie A, Premier League and Bundesliga. They gain exposure to high-quality football.

As a result, the Nigerian Football Federation now puts more emphasis on scouting talented players and long-term development plans. Although the skill and capacity do, in fact, exist, Nigeria will need to avoid significant internal problems such as coaching changes and politics within the federation that have plagued them in the past.