NFF President Ibrahim Gusau Sets AFCON 2025 Target for Super Eagles Coach Eric Chelle

• Super Eagles head to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations with the sole aim of winning their fourth continental title
• NFF boss Ibrahim Gusau has set a huge milestone for Eric Chelle as they prepare for the competition in Morocco
• Having finished the last edition of the AFCON as runners-up, the Super Eagles will go a step further at the 35th edition

The president of the Nigeria Football Federation, Ibrahim Gusau, has set a huge target for Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle as the tactician prepares for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

Chelle announced his final 28-man squad to the tournament in Morocco on December 11, as the Nigerian national team seek their fourth continental title.

The Franco-Malian tactician will plan to go a step further after what Jose Peseiro achieved with the team at he 2023 AFCON tournament in the Ivory Coast.

Recall that the Super Eagles were on the verge of winning the title in Abidjan, but they could not hold on to their first-half lead as the defence capitulated in the second half of the final.

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ESPN reports that Captain William Troost-Ekong had put Nigeria ahead with a fine header, taking the lead into the break, but Franck Kessie and Sebastien Haller scored second-half goals to win it for the Elephants.

Having missed out on the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification, the Super Eagles will hope to appease Nigerian fans by winning the 2025 AFCON title.

They are drawn in Group C, where they face Tanzania, Tunisia and Uganda in the preliminary rounds, per CAF.

As the team's camp is set to be thrown open ahead of the kick-off of the tournament, NFF boss Gusau urged Eric Chelle to reach the final.

The football administrator said:

"We are going to reach the final in Morocco, by the grace of God. The mandate given to Eric Chelle is to get to the final of the AFCON."

Nigeria will head into the 2025 AFCON as one of the tournament favourites, with expectations high following the team’s recent performances on the continental stage.

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Mikel sends best wishes to Super Eagles

Meanwhile, former Nigeria international Mikel Obi has sent a crucial message to the Super Eagles ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

The midfielder, who was part of the squad between 2005 and 2019 and scored 6 goals in 91 international appearances, urged the team to go for the title.

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He was part of the Super Eagles squad that won the coveted AFCON title in 2013 under the tutelage of Stephen Keshi.

The former national team captain said via Soccernet:

"Bring it home lads."

Ola Aina to miss AFCON 2025

Legit.ng earlier reported Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle remained in touch with Ola Aina and hoped that the defender would be released by English club Nottingham Forest.

However, manager Sean Dyche maintained that the star was not ready to venture into such a high-profile competition as the AFCON, following an injury the player sustained during the World Cup qualifiers.

Source: Legit.ng