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AFCON 2025: NFF President Gusau Confirms Full Support for Super Eagles Ahead of Knockout Stage
Nigeria’s senior men’s national team are heading into the knockout stages of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with full backing from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), according to its President, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau.
Following Saturday’s pulsating 3–2 victory over Tunisia in Fes, which came on the back of a 2–1 opening win against Tanzania, Gusau congratulated the team and Nigerians for what he described as a display of skill, unity, and determination.
“It’s not easy. When you come to this kind of tournament, you always feel happy when you see that after two matches, you have secured your slot to the round of 16 and by the grace of God, we’ll take it up from there,” Gusau said.
The NFF President acknowledged the difficulties involved in assembling the national team, noting that players are drawn from several clubs across the world, often with very limited preparation time
“These boys are brought down from so many different clubs. In most qualifiers, we have only nine to ten days to play two matches, including travel to other venues. It’s always very difficult to bring them together in such a short period and expect top performance,” he explained.
Despite those challenges, Gusau expressed satisfaction with the Super Eagles’ visible improvement so far in the tournament.
“If you observe our first match, which was after just one week of assembling, compared to today, you can see the difference. In tournaments, players have enough time to blend and understand each other, and that’s why you see improvement match after match.”
He also emphasized the federation’s commitment to motivating the players through proper incentives, confirming that support has been consistent.
“We only saw a few days ago that the President of Nigeria gave the players what they were promised after finishing second in AFCON last year. We are doing our best. Match in, match out, we encourage them by providing incentives so we can reach the final and ultimately lift the trophy,” Gusau stated.
The NFF boss further appealed to Nigerians at home and in the diaspora to continue rallying behind the team as the competition enters its decisive phase.
“The Super Eagles are making Nigerians proud and deserve the full backing of the nation. Support from fans at home and abroad is vital as the competition enters its decisive stages,” he said.
Nigeria will conclude their group campaign against Uganda on Tuesday at 4 p.m. in Fes, while Tunisia face Tanzania in a simultaneous fixture in Rabat.
The Super Eagles, champions of Africa in 1980, 1994, and 2013, are now firmly focused on chasing a fourth AFCON title as momentum builds heading into the knockout rounds.
