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“It’s not going to be easy” — Victor Osimhen admits tough AFCON 2025 group

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“It’s not going to be easy” — Victor Osimhen admits tough AFCON 2025 group

By Monsurah Olatunji

Victor Osimhen has shared his thoughts on the challenging group stage draw for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), where Nigeria will face Tunisia, Uganda, and Tanzania.

The African elite tournament is set to take place from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, in Morocco.

The 26-year-old, currently enjoying a stellar season with Galatasaray on loan from Napoli, has netted 20 goals and provided 5 assists in 25 appearances across all competitions.

As Nigeria’s most prolific striker this season, Osimhen recognizes the tough competition ahead, yet he remains optimistic about the Super Eagles’ prospects under the guidance of newly appointed head coach Eric Chelle.

“It’s not going to be easy, this is African football, and you can get a lot of surprises. But we will take each game as it comes,” Osimhen told journalist Oluwshina Okeleji.

“We have a new coach, and I’ve spoken with him a couple of times. I know the kind of objectives he has set for the team, and I am looking forward to the first training session so we can feel his presence.”

Nigeria’s quest for a fourth African title will begin against Tanzania on December 23 at the Fez Stadium in Fez.

The Super Eagles will then take on Tunisia on December 27 at the same venue, before concluding their group matches with a clash against Uganda’s Cranes on December 30.

However, Nigeria’s first competitive test under Chelle will take place in March, when they face Rwanda and Zimbabwe in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

These matches will serve as key opportunities for the new coach to evaluate his squad ahead of AFCON 2025.

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Samuel Ahmadu
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
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