AFCON 2025: Osimhen, Ndidi and 2 Others Fly to Europe on Private Jet After Egypt Win
- Four Super Eagles stars have left the AFCON camp in Morocco early after Nigeria’s bronze-medal win
- The players, led by Victor Osimhen, travelled by private jet and will miss the official medal presentation
- Nigeria finished AFCON 2025 with a record ninth bronze medal after defeating Egypt via penalties
Several Super Eagles stars have begun their return to club duties following Nigeria’s bronze-medal finish at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
After the dramatic penalty shootout victory over Egypt, at least four key players departed the national team camp, bringing their AFCON journey to an early close away from the rest of the squad.
Source: Getty Images
Victor Osimhen, Wilfred Ndidi, Paul Onuachu and Chidozie Awaziem were all granted permission to leave Casablanca shortly after Nigeria’s third-place playoff win.
The quartet travelled back to Europe aboard a private jet, with Osimhen, Ndidi and Onuachu returning to their respective clubs in Turkey, while Awaziem headed back to France, Daily Sports reports.
Their early exit means they will not be present for the official medal presentation scheduled to take place after the Sunday, January 18, AFCON final, as bronze medals were not handed out immediately after Saturday’s match.
Nigeria secured the third-place finish by defeating Egypt 4-2 on penalties following a goalless 90 minutes, claiming a record ninth bronze medal in the history of the tournament, CAF Online reports.
The decision to allow players to return to club football early was largely influenced by tight club schedules and recovery needs after a physically demanding competition.
Osimhen spotted partying in Lagos
While some players headed straight to Europe, scenes from Lagos later caught attention on social media.
Source: Getty Images
Osimhen, Ndidi, and Awaziem were spotted at a nightclub in Lagos in the early hours of Sunday, just hours after the bronze-medal success.
The outing was reportedly part of a birthday celebration for popular socialite Babatunde “Tunde Perry” Akinpelu.
Videos shared online showed the Galatasaray striker receiving a warm welcome at the venue, with his teammates joining in the low-key celebration.
Osimhen, who did not feature in the third-place match, had earlier been seen leaving the Stade Mohammed V with his bags shortly after celebrating with teammates in the dressing room.
Nigeria secures bronze at AFCON 2025
Nigeria’s bronze-medal success was built on resilience, particularly after their semi-final defeat to hosts Morocco.
Goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali emerged as the hero against Egypt, saving penalties from Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush during the shootout.
Akor Adams, Moses Simon, Alex Iwobi and Ademola Lookman all converted their spot kicks to seal the victory.
Osimhen played five matches at AFCON 2025, scoring four goals and registering one assist, while captain Wilfred Ndidi featured in every game except the final group match, despite carrying an injury from the quarterfinal clash.
Awaziem made four substitute appearances, contributing defensive stability when called upon.
Other squad members, including Sevilla duo Akor Adams and Chidera Ejuke, have also left Morocco, while the remaining players are expected to attend the official medal ceremony following Sunday’s final.
Chelle rests Osimhen for Egypt clash
In a related development, Legit.ng reported that Eric Chelle announced his Super Eagles starting line-up for the third-place play-off match against Egypt, with some key players rested for the clash.
The Franco-Malian manager made multiple changes to the team, which lost to Morocco, with African Footballers of the Year Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman starting on the bench.
Source: Legit.ng
