Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong believes that Tunisia, Uganda, and Tanzania will provide a significant challenge for Nigeria in Group C at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The three-time African champions are heading to Morocco aiming to clinch their fourth AFCON title after narrowly missing out on the trophy in the last final against Côte d’Ivoire.
Nigeria has been drawn into a diverse mix of opponents in Group C. Tunisia, a perennial continental contender, is expected to be a major test, while Uganda and Tanzania will bring energy and unpredictability to the group stage.
In a new interview, Troost-Ekong emphasized the team’s objective: to top the group and advance deep into the knockout stages.
Troost-Ekong highlighted the difficulty of the group, citing past experiences and the form of their rivals:
“Difficult. Tunisia knocked us out in the 2021 Round of 16 and have been performing strongly in World Cup qualifying without conceding many goals. They’re high in confidence. Tanzania and Uganda are also tough; we’ve faced them in several qualifiers. There’s no ‘cruise’ at AFCON. We want top spot to help the next round, but no one in our camp thinks this group is easy.”
The Super Eagles captain also pushed back against the notion that Nigeria is the clear frontrunner to win the tournament in Morocco.
“I think that’s overstated. We’ve got an amazing squad—too many players to name—but objectively, Morocco are at home and in great form; Côte d’Ivoire are defending champions; Senegal is another strong contender. There’s no such thing as a clear favorite at AFCON.”
He concluded by stressing the unpredictable nature of the tournament: “Last time, not many tipped us to go that far. You can’t win a tournament with expectations, and we won’t get complacent. AFCON is difficult, and strong teams can emerge from unexpected places. We trust ourselves, but I wouldn’t say we’re clear favourites.”
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