AFCON 2025: All you need to know about Nigeria

The country

Capital: Abuja

Area: 923,768 km2

Population: 232.7 million inhabitants

Official language: English, Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo

Inhabitants: Nigerians/Nigerianes


Nickname of the team:  Super Eagles

Nigeria and the AFCON
Title: 3

Finals: 8

Participations before AFCON 2025: 20

Host country: 2 (1980 - 2000)

Course at the AFCON
1963: eliminated in the first round

1976: 3rd place

1978: 3rd place

1980: winner

1982: eliminated in the first round

1984: finalist

1988: finalist

1990: finalist

1992: 3rd place

1994: winner

2000: finalist

2002: 3rd place

2004: 3rd place

2006: 3rd place

2008: quarter final

2010: 3rd place

2013: winner

2019: 3rd place

2021: eighth of final

2023: finalist

Assessment at the AFCON
104 matches played

57 victories

24 nuls

23 defeats

146 goals scored

95 goals conceded


Victor Osimhen, the man of big occasions for Nigeria

Victor Osimhen missed big deadlines with Nigeria due to repetitive injuries. But his status as the attacking leader of the Super Eagles is unanimously appreciated in the country, as he showed during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers that Nigeria will unfortunately not play, eliminated by DR Congo in the playoff final.

A failure that the Super Eagles experienced very badly and which should be a source of additional motivation for Victor Osimhen and his teammates. The striker from Galatasaray walks on water currently in club, with 11 goals scored in 14 games this season. 

In the national team, Victor Osimhen has an excellent goal ratio, with 31 goals in 46 caps. Completely crazy numbers for the 26-year-old striker who is chasing his first national title. Finalist in 2023 in Côte d'Ivoire where he set an example with his defensive involvement, Osimhen is expected in Morocco to lead by his sense of purpose and his ability to shake the opposing defenses. 

U17 African Champion in 2015 and U17 World Champion the same year, he is missing the CAN in the senior division in Osimhen to top his selection record. And the CAN 2025 in Morocco is timely to achieve this dream.

Named coach of the Super Eagles last January, Eric Chelle has so far a brilliant record of 9 wins, 3 draws and 3 defeats in 15 matches. Even if the elimination in the play-offs for the 2026 World Cup remains a failure, the responsibility cannot be that of the Malian technician alone, especially since he only arrived on the 5th day of the qualifiers and managed to revive the Super Eagles bt unfortunately crashed out to DR Congo.

This edition is an opportunity for the former boss of Mali to continue his beautiful dynamic and to make history with Nigeria, which is one of the largest football nations on the African continent. Eliminated in the quarter-finals with Mali in Ivory Coast, Eric Chelle will have learned from his mistakes and the Nigerians trust him in the quest for their 4th star.