Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has declared that Nigeria’s senior national team has moved on from the disappointment of failing to qualify for next year’s FIFA World Cup and is now fully focused on the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.
Nigeria will begin their AFCON 2025 campaign on Tuesday with a Group C opener against Tanzania in Fes, as the Super Eagles look to bounce back from the World Cup qualification setback by chasing a fourth continental title.
The group also features Tunisia and Uganda, making qualification for the knockout stage a demanding task.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Monday, Chelle stressed that there is no time to dwell on past failures, insisting that the AFCON tournament must now take centre stage.
“We are here and we have a game tomorrow and also we have a tournament, so we don’t have the time to think about what has happened before,” Chelle said.
“This is not the moment to talk about the World Cup qualifiers. For now, the most important thing is this tournament.”
The former Mali national team coach acknowledged the importance of making a strong start, noting that opening games often set the tone for the rest of the competition.
“Our first game is a big game and the first game is very important, and for sure we want to win this game,” he added.
Nigeria will be keen to avoid a repeat of their slow start at the last AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire, where they were held to a 1-1 draw by Equatorial Guinea in their opening fixture.
This time, Chelle and his players are determined to begin on a winning note as they pursue continental success.
With renewed focus and a clear objective, the Super Eagles hope that a strong AFCON 2025 campaign will help restore confidence and pride, as they seek to reaffirm their status as one of Africa’s football powerhouses.