AFCON 2025: Ademola Lookman, Calvin Bassey, Akor Adams Named in Round of 16 Best 11
- Three Super Eagles stars have been included in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Round of 16 Best 11
- Nigeria has produced the best result of the tournament so far, humiliating Mozambique 4-0
- Ademola Lookman was named the man of the match after scoring once and providing two assists
Three Super Eagles players have been named on the Beast XI of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Round of 16 after the completion of the matches from January 2-6, 2026.
Super Eagles were the best team in the round, beating knockout stage debutant Mozambique 4-0. Victor Osimhen scored a brace, while Ademola Lookman and Akor Adams added a goal each.
The Desert Foxes of Algeria, the Pharaohs of Egypt, the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon and defending champions Cote d'Ivoire are among the other qualified teams.
Source: Getty Images
According to CAF, the last eight feature heavyweights of past winners with 22 titles between them, except Mali, who has yet to conquer the tournament.
Super Eagles stars named in Best 11
The Super Eagles trio of Ademola Lookman, Calvin Bassey and Akor Adams have been named in Sofascore’s team of the tournament for the round of 16.
Bassey helped Nigeria keep their first clean sheet in the tournament and had a match rating of 7.6 despite receiving a yellow card in the 93rd minute.
Atalanta forward Lookman has a perfect 10 rating after scoring a goal and providing two assists. He could have had three assists, but Akor Adams had a touch on his cross before Osimhen tapped it in.
Sevilla star Adams scored his first AFCON goal, added two assists and was rated 9.2 by Sofascore to make it to the best team in the last 16.
Morocco’s Nayef Aguerd and Egypt’s Yasser Ibrahim join Bassey to complete a three-man defence. Egypt’s Marwan Attia operates at the base of midfield.
Yan Diomande, Pape Gueye and Amad Diallo join Lookman, who is operating in the hole behind the strikers for Nigeria, to form an attacking quartet behind the forward line.
Two-time African Footballer of the Year Mohamed Salah and Akor Adams complete the rest of the 11 in a 3-1-4-2 formation. Malian goalkeeper Djigui Diarra manned the goal after saving two penalties in the shootout win over Tunisia.
Source: Getty Images
Lookman is leading the race to be named the tournament’s best player with three goals and four assists in three matches ahead of Salah, Diallo and Brahim Diaz.
There is no place for Victor Osimhen on the XI despite scoring two goals, while Super Eagles midfield orchestrator Alex Iwobi was also overlooked.
Morocco’s Abdessamad Ezzalzouli, Senegal’s Sadio Mane and Cote d'Ivoire’s Christ Inao Oulai were among the other top performers excluded.
Super Eagles' standout players
Legit.ng analysed the five standout Super Eagles players after the dominant win over Mozambique in the AFCON 2025 Round of 16.
Lookman and Osimhen led the top performers despite their heated exchange overshadowing the result, with Alex Iwobi among the stars of the match.
Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
