President Bola Tinubu has urged the Super Eagles to recover their lost glory by winning the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.
Tinubu gave the charge on Monday in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who said the president commended the Super Eagles for putting in their best efforts toward qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, despite their playoff loss on Sunday.
According to Onanuga, the president encouraged the team to put behind them the defeat to the Democratic Republic of Congo and focus fully on the AFCON, scheduled to hold from December 2025 to January 2026 in Morocco.
Nigeria’s dream of featuring in the World Cup was dashed after DR Congo eliminated the Super Eagles in a dramatic playoff in Morocco. The match ended 1-1 after extra time before Congo triumphed 4-3 on penalties to advance to the Inter-Confederation playoff, keeping their World Cup hopes alive.
Tinubu said that although it was painful that the Eagles failed to qualify for the World Cup for the second consecutive time, the players deserved commendation for fighting hard to reach the tournament, especially after winning their first playoff match.
“Notwithstanding the unfortunate loss, we must commend the players for their efforts and continue to support them,” Tinubu said.
“We must now plug all loopholes. Our football administrators, players, and all stakeholders must go back to the drawing board. Now is the time to focus all efforts on the Cup of Nations. Our Super Eagles must recover the lost glory.”
The three-time African champions are in Group C alongside Tanzania’s Taifa Stars, Uganda’s Cranes, and Tunisia’s Carthage Eagles.
Nigeria last won the AFCON in South Africa in 2013 under the late Stephen Keshi, who also lifted the trophy as captain in Tunisia in 1994.
The country’s first AFCON triumph was in 1980, when the then Green Eagles defeated Algeria 3-0 in the final at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.
The team reached the final of the 2023 AFCON in Ivory Coast but lost 2-1 to the hosts. Nigeria took the lead through a powerful header by captain William Troost-Ekong before Ivory Coast scored twice to claim the title.
