NFF Releases Powerful Statement Ahead of AFCON 2025 As Eric Chelle Names 28-Man Squad
- The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has released a statement ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco
- Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has announced his final 28-man squad for the 35th edition of the continental showpiece
- Cyriel Dessers and Paul Onuachu make a return to the squad after missing the last two matches of the World Cup qualifiers and playoffs
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has released a statement ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.
Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle officially announced his final 28-man squad for the 35th edition of the continental tournament on Thursday night, December 12.
Source: Getty Images
On December 2, the former Mali coach unveiled an expanded 54-man provisional squad, which included Nigeria Premier Football League players, experienced internationals, and several debutants.
The AFCON is scheduled to take place from December 21 to January 18, 2026, spanning a total of 21 days.
The Super Eagles are seeking to restore the confidence of Nigerians with a strong performance after failing to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
The three-time AFCON champions missed out on World Cup qualification after finishing second in their qualifying group with 17 points, behind Bafana Bafana of South Africa, per Al Jazeera.
Nigeria earned a lifeline with their second-place finish, overtaking Burkina Faso to reach the playoffs. The Super Eagles defeated the Panthers of Gabon 4-1 in the semifinals before losing 4–3 on penalties to DR Congo in the final, per ESPN.
NFF backs Super Eagles
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has expressed full support for the Super Eagles ahead of the forthcoming 2025 AFCON.
In a statement released by the federation, the NFF Technical Committee urged the players to put the World Cup playoff disappointment behind them and remain focused on the continental tournament. The statement read via NFF:
Source: Getty Images
"The Executive Committee thoroughly appraised the preparations of the Senior Men National Team, Super Eagles, for their participation in the 35th Africa Cup of finals scheduled for Morocco, 21st December 2025 – 18th January 2026, and mandated the Secretariat to ensure a hitch-free run-in to the championship for the three-time African champions.
"The Committee also charged the players to completely forget the unfortunate ending to the FIFA World Cup playoffs and use the same North African kingdom as the arena to write a new story about themselves and their abilities."
Nigeria are drawn in Group C alongside Tanzania, Tunisia and Uganda as they seek to win their fourth AFCON title.
The Super Eagles lost to Ivory Coast in the final of the 2023 edition, as former captain William Troost-Ekong was named the Player of the Tournament.
Tanzania releases squad to face Nigeria
Legit.ng earlier reported that Tanzania announced its 28-man squad to face Nigeria in the first match of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Group C.
The Taifa Stars have begun preparations in Morocco after naming a squad dominated by players in the Tanzanian Premier League, with only nine players outside the league.
Source: Legit.ng
