Ajibade Olusesan 
Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has made it clear that his immediate priority is the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers, not the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco but his captain, William TroostEkong believes the team can win the tournament slated for Morocco in December.
Speaking after the draw which took place in Rabat, Morocco, on Monday night, Chelle admitted that the AFCON is also an important tournament to the Eagles but the immediate priority is the World Cup qualifying matches in March after which attention will shift to AFCON as from October.
“There is no little team in the AFCON, you need to be focused. Right now, I’m focused on my players, on my team and on March,” Chelle said. “We need to be focused on the World Cup Qualfiers.
Then in October, we will think about the AFCON. But now, we need to win two games in March.” Nigeria currently sits fifth in their World Cup Qualifying group, with three points from four games, behind Rwanda, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Lesotho.
The team’s remaining fixtures include away games against Rwanda, South Africa, and Lesotho, as well as home games against Zimbabwe, Rwanda, and Benin.
The Super Eagles were drawn into Group C alongside Tunisia’s Carthage Eagles, Uganda’s Cranes, and Tanzania’s Taifa Stars. Troost-Ekong described the group as tough and Eagles will need to be focused.
“The AFCON 2025 draw is now over. It’s very exciting to see the new group. Tunisia Uganda, Tanzania are three teams that need to be respected. I think we have the experience now to know how to handle these situations.”
