Ideye, Etim Esin, Journalists Speak On Success, Failures Of Super Eagles 2025 AFCON Performance

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco has come and gone with Senegal emerging champions after a chaotic final in Rabat but former internationals, pundits and journalists have given their opinions on the performance of the Super Eagles.

Nigeria earned the bronze-medal from the competition having fell via penalties to hosts Morocco during the semi-final.

In exclusive interviews with THE WHISTLER’s Taiwo Ibrahim, former Super Eagles players Brown Ideye, Etim Esin, Friday Elaho, as well as sports journalists and coaches, assessed Nigeria’s overall showing in Morocco.

Former Super Eagles midfielder Etim Esin expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance but lamented the clash between Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman during the second-round match against Mozambique.

He said, “The team did well collectively if not for the ego problem between Osimhen and Lookman. The odds were against Nigeria playing Morocco, we forced them to a penalty shootout.

“We have failed to qualify for the World Cup, and we have a bronze medal from the Nations Cup, we need to build on it ahead of the next tournament.

“Age is not on their side, they have not qualified for the world cup, they are yet to win the Nations Cup they need to build on their performances in Morocco to win the trophy next year.”

Esin added that the Super Eagles need a creative midfielder to improve their chances of winning the next Nations Cup.

He said, “I was impressed with the team in Morocco, defensively they were solid and they scored a lot of goals too. However, the team lacked creativity. They need to work on that part. We need a creative midfielder.

“If we can get a creative midfielder, who can make things happen on the ball, the world will fear Nigeria. If we had a creative midfielder in the team, things would have been different in the game against Morocco.”

He also called on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to ensure better organisation and to resolve bonus issues before major tournaments.

Etim said, “The team needs proper organisation, the team were still fighting for their match bonuses in the competition, the same thing has been happening since the 90s. The bonuses should be sorted before any tournament.”

Esin further questioned Eric Chelle’s ability to manage the dressing room, citing the Osimhen-Lookman incident.

He added, “I don’t think Chelle can control the dressing room, it is not just about coaching the team it is about keeping the team together any coach in charge of the team can get it right.

“We have talented players in Nigeria, he has used the Super Eagles to boost his CV.

“The team needs a coach that can control the dressing room. We need a coach that can enforce discipline in that team, the Osimhen and Lookman saga would not have happened if there was discipline in the team because no player is above the country.”

Etim Esin represented Nigeria at the 1987 FIFA World Youth Championship and featured in six FIFA World Cup qualifying matches for the Super Eagles before missing the 1994 World Cup due to a FIFA ban.

Similarly, former Super Eagles player Friday Elaho, who represented Nigeria at the 1990 AFCON in Algeria, praised the team for securing the bronze medal.

He said, “The team did well, Nigerians were expecting the trophy but unfortunately the team could not meet up with that target, the bronze medal is still manageable. It is unfortunate they didn’t make it to the final because after they failed to qualify for the World Cup some Nigerians were expecting them to win the trophy.”

Elaho believes the team needs fresh legs to improve their chances next year. He said, “The Super Eagles need fresh legs, some players have to go, we don’t need players who are arrogant who believe that nobody can talk to them.”

He also urged Osimhen to show humility following his clash with Lookman.
He said, “Osimhen needs to humble himself, Super Eagles is not a one man show everybody is important in the team.

“You cannot say you are better than other players, what happened between him and Lookman was an embarrassment to the team and to the nation. The coach has to ensure discipline in the team to avoid such incidents in the future.”

Elaho further called for increased competition among the goalkeepers. He said, “We have goalkeepers who can challenge Nwabali, we have to bring in quality goalkeepers who can fight for the shirt with Nwabali.

“During our own time, we had four goalkeepers that were challenging each other but if you keep fielding one keeper he will think he is the best, you have to rotate the goalkeeper to ensure competition between the goalkeepers.”

Elaho made 14 appearances for Nigeria, scoring once, and featured at the 1990 Nations Cup.

2013 AFCON winner Brown Ideye stated that the Super Eagles’ performance in Morocco was better than their World Cup playoff showing against DR Congo.

He said, “The team’s performance was good, better than the World Cup play-off games. I saw improvement in the team in all the AFCON games, yes we were unlucky against Morocco, that doesn’t mean we have a bad team. We play against a better, and more experienced side.

“We are blessed with so much talent in the squad. They have to believe they can win the next AFCON and work on pushing themselves till the end.”

Ideye urged the NFF to retain Eric Chelle as head coach. He added, “The coach has done a good job with the squad, so they should give him time to fix the team. The Super Eagles played good football, they lost just once in 7 games that is a pass mark for me. Bringing in a new coach will mess up everything Eric Chelle has built.”

Ideye scored six goals in 28 appearances for Nigeria and represented the country at the 2010 World Cup and the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. He was part of the squad that won Nigeria’s last AFCON title under the late Stephen Keshi in 2013.

Sports journalist Femi Fabunmi praised the Super Eagles, describing them as a complete team. He said, “The 2025 Nations Cup was a great tournament with Morocco raising the standards so high. Bad officiating almost marred the tournament but it was due to social media noise. It should go down as one of the best AFCONS with African football the better for it.”

Fabunmi also highlighted areas for improvement. He said, “Super Eagles are a very complete side. Maybe attack because of our over reliance on Osimhen. Attackers should be competing with him and not fight to assist him. Maybe a quick fix to our midfield too.

“For now we don’t have Iwobi’s replacement. In his absence the team would lack creativity. Defense is very okay but we can consolidate.
“Chelle should be retained because he has steadied the ship. He should continue what he has started.”

Sports journalist Francis Achi was equally impressed with the team’s performance. He said, “The Super Eagles were marvelous, and formidable at the Nations Cup in Morocco. It was disappointing that they didn’t win the trophy but at the same time we should be happy that they improved compared to what happened at the World Cup qualifiers where they struggled against smaller teams.”

Achi urged the NFF to begin rebuilding. He said, “In the next two to three years, some of the players won’t be able to play for the team again because of their age, we need to begin to look at getting new players to replace them, the rebuilding process should begin now ahead of the next Nations Cup.

“It is going to be very difficult to win the next Nations Cup because there will be 24 teams in the tournament. Chelle should continue as the team’s coach because he has done very well.”
Sports journalist Monsurah Olatunji described the Super Eagles’ performance as their best in recent years.

She said, “Because football is always about results and since the Super Eagles did not win the trophy a lot of Nigerians see it as failure, however, in terms of performance on the pitch, tactics, and progressing the ball, this is the best Super Eagles team we have seen in the last couple of years.

“The likes of Alex Iwobi, Wilfred Ndidi, and Calvin Bassey impressed in the tournament, we still have a lot of improvements to make especially in the area of penalties.”
She added:

“We have suffered defeats in two tournaments because of penalties, anytime we get to penalties we know Nwabali will save at least one but you can’t say the same about the players. We have to work on our penalties, the NFF should also ensure there is no distraction with bonuses.”

Olatunji called for continuity in coaching.
She said, “The NFF should retain Eric Chelle not because he is the best but because of continuity, the team has lacked continuity in the last seven years.

“Under Chelle, we have been able to handle the absence of William Troost-Ekong, he offers psychological support to the players while allowing them to be free.”

She stressed, “However, he is not the best coach we have had, he handled six matches at the World Cup playoffs, he failed to qualify us and also failed to win the Nations Cup, Peseiro took us to the final so any coach coming in should be going a step further.

“The NFF should allow him to build his team and take us to the next Nations Cup, and if there is no positivity they should allow him to go.”

Dubai-based Nigerian coach Marcelinus Anyanwu praised the team’s recovery after World Cup playoff disappointment.
He said, “The World Cup play off against Gabon and DR Congo kept the Super Eagles in the right shape both physically and psychologically after losing the playoff they resorted to the Nations Cup even though Nigerians ruled them out, they performed well in the tournament.”

Anyanwu criticised Osimhen’s behaviour.
He said, “Osimhen’s uproar was unprofessional, and his conduct should be checked. He should realize that talent without character is null and void. He is just a player out of the entire team.

“The Super Eagles have to improve on their game management whenever they are playing under pressure. They should be playing for Nigeria not for themselves. Chukwueze’s lackadaisical attitude during and after his spot kick against Morocco was unprofessional.”
He also urged continuity.

He said, “The NFF should retain the head coach Eric Chelle, and the entire technical Crew for continuity because they have done well.”

Former Shooting Stars coach Festus Allen described the team’s outing as solid. He said, “It was a solid showing from the team in Morocco with a record of 14 goals. I saw defensive solidity and stunning attacking play.

“However, I think the team needs to work on the defensive midfield area. They also struggled from defending set pieces. They showed flashes of brilliance but they lacked consistency when it mattered most.”

Allen suggested, “The NFF should begin preparations on time while also adding new players to the team if they want to win the trophy in the next tournament. Chelle should be retained because continuity is the key to success.”

Nigerians will now look ahead to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, to be hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania from June to July 2027. The tournament will mark the first AFCON to be hosted by three countries and the first in the CECAFA region in five decades, since Ethiopia hosted in 1976.

The 2027 edition will also celebrate the AFCON’s 70th anniversary and will be the last tournament held in odd-numbered years, as CAF announced in December 2025 that the competition will become quadrennial from 2028.