2025 AFCON: Man Trends After Naming Best Team in Africa Cup of Nations Following Super Eagles’ Win
- A young Nigerian man shared his opinion online during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in a viral post
- He mentioned the best-performing team in the tournament after Nigeria's Super Eagles defeated Mozambique in a match
- The team he mentioned grabbed many people’s attention, with many agreeing with what he said online
A young man is trending on social media after naming the best-performing team in the 2025 AFCON tournament, shortly after the Super Eagles defeated Mozambique 4-0.
Due to his statement and reasoning, many people agreed with him, taking to social media to react to his viral statement.
Source: Getty Images
Man names best AFCON team
The individual, @TheMahleek, took to his X (formerly Twitter) page on January 5, following Nigeria’s game against Mozambique.
He shared his opinion after watching the performance of the Super Eagles and mentioned the best playing team in the AFCON tournament.
Source: Twitter
His statement read:
"We should not lie, we should not steal, no team is playing as good as Nigeria in this AFCON, not even Morocco."
After sharing his post while also naming a team that he felt was not performing as well, many individuals who read the post agreed with him in the comments section.
Reactions as man names top AFCON 2025 team
Legit.ng compiled some of the reactions. Read them below:
@atriky2 said:
"True facts!!"
@v3ctoria_0 shared:
"Well said , Agreed."
@Kuye38118O shared:
"I need you to add we should not close our eyes to the list . Super eagles are amazing currently. How interesting it’s would have been if we are going to the World Cup . Let’s hope we win this competition. Because we can’t play this beautifully and fail to win anything."
@deolar_zeal shared:
"Taah! that one na lie, na because we never jam any serious team yet, from next match now dem go dey display their real self.'
@Dpersonality16 stressed:
"Our true test will come in the Quarter Finals. I don't think we can dominate today's Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire or Cameroon. If we meet a Team that's well balanced, then we can say we are the tournament's favorites."
@MosopeO4854 noted:
"Morocco players should preparing their holiday to watch the remaining afcon or just go back to their clubs Cameroon is thrashing those boys clean."
@zephirjuvefc noted:
"Anyone following & watching the AFCON wella morroco are not special one bit they are not THEM at all. Senegal seems a good deal sha."
@komrade_michy said:
"Morocco no really good like that na we dey hype when oya when last dem win AFCON."
@daneemoe noted:
"No be matter of lie or steal.. e dey play e dey show naim we dey do for here !!!"
The statement made by the young man in the story sparked debates online, with many Nigerians agreeing and disagreeing with his stance on Nigeria’s performance at the tournament.
In a bid to add expert insight and context to the discussion, Legit.ng reached out to a sports analyst who prefers to be identified by his media name, Footbolmatters.
Drawing from his experience, Legit.ng asked what it truly means for a team to be described as the best performing side in a tournament.
Responding, the sports analyst explained that the label goes far beyond winning matches or recording big scorelines.
He said,
“What does it really mean for a team to be called the best performing team? Being the best performing team is not just about winning by a large margin, like Nigeria did against Mozambique. It is also not simply about beating a big team, like Cameroon did against South Africa."
“Being the best performing team should involve several factors. You have to look at the attacking phase, the defensive phase, and the transitions. A team must be strong in all aspects of play. You also have to be consistent, creating chances and scoring goals, which Nigeria have done."
“You must also show control, chemistry, and the ability to manage pressure. Nigeria have shown these qualities as well. However, I still think it is too early to call them the best performing team because the tournament is not yet at the final stages. They have only just gone past the round of sixteen."
“Until you get to the later stages of the knockout rounds, you cannot make such claims. For example, last season Liverpool were very impressive until they met Paris Saint Germain in the round of sixteen and were knocked out on penalties by a team that went on to win the competition."
“I even told my friends that if Liverpool had not met PSG at that stage, they could have gone all the way. In the last two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, Nigeria won all three group matches but were knocked out in the round of sixteen. So until you go deeper, fingers remain crossed."
“If you win matches convincingly but get knocked out in the round of sixteen or quarter finals, then you do not deserve the tag of best performing team.”
While the analyst addressed the broader issue, Legit.ng also asked whether winning by a large margin or scoring many goals is enough to judge a team’s quality.
He responded:
“Is winning by a big margin enough to judge a team’s quality? No, not entirely. Big wins can show attacking strength, but they are not enough to measure quality on their own."
“For example, that scoreline may look impressive, but the quality of the opposition also matters. Mozambique are ranked very low on the FIFA rankings, so beating them heavily should not automatically make you feel superior."
“It is when you show tactical discipline, consistency, and hunger against stronger opponents that it really counts. When you can manage pressure, handle hostile crowds, play with composure, and perform when the stakes are high, that is when quality truly shows. So scorelines alone do not really matter.”
The sports analyst also identified the teams he believes pose the biggest threat to Nigeria’s chances at the tournament.
He said,
“When it comes to the biggest threats to Nigeria in this AFCON, I would say Morocco. I watched them play against Cameroon, and they pressed from the first minute to the last. They did not allow Cameroon to create anything meaningful."
“They controlled the game, dictated the tempo, and won convincingly. They are the host nation, and playing in front of about seventy thousand fans gives them a massive advantage as the twelfth man."
“Senegal are also a big threat. I have said before that they have the best squad depth in this competition. However, having the best squad does not automatically win tournaments like AFCON. History has proven that."
“They struggled against Mali for long periods and only qualified after Mali went down to ten men, relying on a defensive error. Still, they remain unbeaten and have a strong record."
“Then there is Egypt and Ivory Coast. Whoever comes out of that clash could easily reach the final. Ivory Coast are defending champions, very solid defensively, and extremely dangerous going forward. Egypt also have experience and know how to manage big games."
“These are the teams I see as the biggest threats to Nigeria at this tournament.”
Read the post below:
In a similar story, Legit.ng reported that a man from Sierra Leone, known for his accurate football predictions, predicted Nigeria’s 2025 AFCON Round of 16 clash against Mozambique.
Nigerian fan hails Lookman’s AFCON performance
Meanwhile, Legit.ng recently reported that a Nigerian man said Ademola Lookman was the best player in AFCON 2025 after Nigeria beat Mozambique 4-0.
He shared this on social media and praised how well Lookman played. Fans also cheered online, happy with Nigeria’s win and other players like Victor Osimhen, Iwobi, Bassey, Chukwueze, and Onyeka.
Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
