William Troost-Ekong Names 3 Countries That Can Stop Super Eagles From Winning AFCON 2025
- William Troost-Ekong has named the countries that can stop Nigeria from winning the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations
- Troost-Ekong will lead Nigeria to AFCON 2025 in Morocco, which is possibly his last major tournament on the continent
- Nigeria will begin its campaign against Tanzania on December 23, followed by matches against Tunisia and Uganda
Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has named the three countries capable of stopping Nigeria from winning the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The attention of the world will be in Morocco from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, for the 35th edition of the biennial AFCON.
Source: Getty Images
Super Eagles qualified from a group that has West African neighbours Benin, Rwanda, and Libya, winning 11 points, including a forfeiture from Libya after holding Nigerian players hostage.
Nigeria is drawn in Group C alongside Tunisia, Tanzania, and Uganda as they seek to do better than the previous edition, when they lost the final to Ivory Coast.
As noted by the NFF, the Super Eagles are seeking a fourth crown on the continent, having previously conquered it in 1980, 1994, and most recently in 2013.
They will kick off the tournament against Tanzania on December 23, before facing Tunisia on Boxing Day and a final group game against Uganda.
Ekong names Nigeria's rivals at AFCON
Super Eagles captain Troost-Ekong, who will lead the country to AFCON 2025, possibly for the final time in the tournament, has looked forward to the competition.
Troost-Ekong admits that Nigeria has learnt from losing the 2023 final to host nation Ivory Coast and will take the experience to Morocco.
He dismissed the ‘favourites’ tag, but believes Nigeria has a great squad that can compete against any nation, and only three countries could stop them.
“We’ve got an amazing squad, too many players to name, but objectively, Morocco are at home and in great form; Côte d’Ivoire are defending champions; Senegal,… there’s no such thing as a clear favourite at AFCON,” he told CAF Online.
“Last time, not many tipped us to go that far. You can’t win a tournament with expectations, and we won’t get complacent. AFCON is difficult, and strong teams can emerge from unexpected places. We trust ourselves, but I wouldn’t say we’re clear favourites.”
Source: Getty Images
Ekong, who was named the most valuable player at the 2023 edition, is likely to play a part role for Nigeria in Morocco, with the emergence of young defenders, including Benjamin Frederick.
Eric Chelle will lead the Super Eagles to Morocco for his second consecutive tournament, having led his country, Mali, to the 2023 edition in Ivory Coast.
The manager turned around Nigeria’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, clinching the playoff spot after coming on board in January.
Nigeria to face Egypt before AFCON
Legit.ng reported that Nigeria will face Egypt in a preparatory match ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco in December.
The match will pit two of the biggest players in Africa, Victor Osimhen and Mohamed Salah, against each other in Cairo, Egypt.
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Source: Legit.ng
