AFCON
Profile Of Nigeria Team For 2023 Africa Cup Of Nations –
Factbox on Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers Nigeria.
Africa Cup of Nations record:
Previous appearances in finals: (19) 1963, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2019, 2021
Best performance: Winners 1980, 1994, 2013
Drawn in Group A with Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Bissau and Cote d’Ivoire.
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Coach: Jose Peserio
It has not been a happy time for the 63-year-old Portuguese technician since he took over at the helm of the Super Eagles in May 2022, with reports of late payment of his salary and constant criticism from supporters, especially since they lost to Guinea Bissau at home last year and in November drew their opening two 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Peserio has also served as coach of Saudi Arabia and Venezuela and at club level been in charge at Porto, Sporting and Braga.
Key player: Victor Osimhen. Age: 25. Forward.
Voted African Footballer of the Year last month, the striker has been on a fast track since being spotted at the 2015 Under-17 World Cup where VfL Wolfsburg signed him. Moved to Lille with a 12 million euro ($13.14 million) price tag in 2019 where he steadily built his reputation and won a place in the Cup of Nations squad for the tournament in Egypt. A broken cheekbone ruled him out of the last finals but after recovering, and mostly wearing a trademark face mask, it was last season at Napoli that he became a major world star, top scoring in Serie A to help the club win the Scudetto.
FIFA world ranking Dec 2023: 42
How they qualified: Top team in Group A ahead of Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone and Sao Tome e Principe.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabili (Chippa United), Olorunleke Ojo (Enyimba), Francis Uzoho (Omonia Nicosia)
Defenders: Ola Aina (Nottingham Forest), Semi Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion), Chidozie Awaziem (Boavista), Calvin Bassey (Fulham), Kenneth Omeruo (Leganes), Bruno Onyemaechi (Boavista), Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce), Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto), William Troost Ekong (PAOK Salonika)
Midfielders: Joe Aribo (Southampton), Alex Iwobi (Fulham), Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge), Frank Onyeka (Brentford), Alhassan Yusuf (Royal Antwerp)
Forwards: Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen), Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan), Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City), Ademola Lookman (Atalanta), Ahmed Musa (Sivasspor), Victor Osimhen (Napoli), Moses Simon (Nantes), Sadiq Umar (Real Sociedad)
-Reuters
What a turn-around! After four previous competitive matches without a win, the Super Eagles have regained their winning mentality after a 3-0 defeat of Benin Republic in their opening 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying series.
The win also put the Super Eagles at the top of the Group D after both Libya and Rwanda played 1-1 draw last Thursday.
It is also the biggest win by the Super Eagles since their 2023 6-0 win over Sao Tome & Principe last year September.
Great man Ademola Lookman, he put in two goals straightening the possibility of his emerging as 2024 African Footballer of the Year.
The current title holder, Victor Osimhen proved his mettle coming off the bench in the second half to double Nigeria’s lead after Lookman’s late first half goal.
The Super Eagles will now honour their next fixture against Rwanda on Tuesday with the hope of consolidating their lead.
Benin Republic with no points and a deficit of three goals are rooted at the bottom of the log.
BY JOSEPH ODOEKWU
The National Chairman of the Nigerian Football Supporters Club (NFSC), Rev. Samuel Ikpea has called on all Nigerians to rally round and pray for the Super Eagles ahead of Saturday’s Morocco 2025 AFCON qualifier against Benin Republic in Uyo.
Ikpea who is mobilizing support for the Super Eagles ahead of the clash in Uyo said that whatever Benin Republic come with both spiritually and physically in the game, we will surely overcome them.
“In the NFSC we have Christians, Muslims as well as those who believe in traditional worship and we respect the rights of freedom of worship of every member and all Nigerians.
“When we are faced with this kind of crucial game, we call on everyone to pray through their various believes because we foresee that Benin Republic are most likely coming to fall back on ‘black magic’ to enable them perfect a back-to-back victory over our Super Eagles after beating us 2-1 in our last meeting in a World Cup qualifier”
“We cannot underestimate the efficacy of the black magic” Ikpea further stressed, “but we believe that when we come together we can neutralize it’s efficacy.
“This is no time to sleep, we all have to rally round and do our best to support our Super Eagles because they cannot do it alone without the prayers and support of all Nigerians.
“While charging Nigerians to be positive with the team, we at the NFSC have done everything positive to overturn whatever plans they are coming with and we enjoin everyone to toe that path through prayers”.
Meanwhile, the Super Eagles camp is bubbling with training in Uyo, as team Coach Austin Eguavoen, has been working hard to perfect tactics with the boys and ensure the Super Eagles soar on Saturday.
The Super Eagles have not won a qualifying match for any competition since their 6-0 defeat of Principe & Sao Tome on 10th September 2023 in Uyo. That was their last qualifying match for Cote d’Ivoire 2023 played in 2024.
Since then, they have played four World Cup qualifying matches without a win despite being the overwhelming favourites at those matches.
A forensic analysis of their World Cup qualifying since that of Qatar 2022 will reveal they had played seven consecutive matches without a win starting from their 1-1 home draw with Cape Verde in Lagos which qualified them for the play off. In the play off with Ghana, the Super Eagles drew the two matches.
In the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, they have gone four matches, getting three draws and a loss. The prospect of their getting a straight qualification from the group is doubtful as they have a mountain to climb by winning the remaining six matches, three of which are away duels of which are most likely to be played in South Africa, the home ground of their main rivals.
Zimbabwe and Lesotho play their home matches in South Africa and Nigeria also still have an away duel with Bafana Bafana.
The qualification series of AFCON 2025 presents the Super Eagles a new beginning. Starting from the semi-finals of the AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire, the team has won none of their four competitive matches in regulation time. The players have a date with destiny in Uyo this Saturday to wipe off the sagging image they have had in recent time.
A win will give the team the confidence expected in anticipation for future fixtures.
What a goal-laden day for Nigeria; Falconets also win with wide margin!
Hurray, Super Eagles back to winning ways!
‘Oh Come All Ye Faithful!’, Rev Ikpea calls on football fans to rally round Super Eagles
Breaking! Uzoho suspended from Super Eagles’ next match with Sierra Leone
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