Former Kaizer Chiefs head coach Dylan Kerr has ruled out Nigeria’s chances of winning the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, despite the Super Eagles’ impressive performances so far in the tournament.
Nigeria topped their group with a perfect record, claiming nine points from three matches to emerge as one of the standout teams of the group phase under head coach Eric Chelle.
However, Kerr remains unconvinced that the Super Eagles have what it takes to go all the way and lift the trophy.
“Nigeria should have a good team, but they didn’t qualify outright for the World Cup, so something must not be good on the side of their game,” Kerr told Flashscore.
The former Chiefs boss also suggested that Nigeria’s flawless group-stage run could work against them as the tournament enters the knockout phase.
“Not really. The good run in the group stage puts them under pressure because they have won all of them. Usually, the teams that struggle end up making the semi-finals and final,” he added.
Kerr further weighed in on Nigeria’s Round of 16 clash against Mozambique, warning that the Super Eagles should not underestimate the debutant knockout-stage campaigners.
“You never know. It will be a tough game and can go either way. I fancy Mozambique to give Nigeria a good game,” Kerr concluded.
Nigeria will face the Mambas of Mozambique on Monday night, with a place in the quarter-finals at stake as the Super Eagles continue their quest for a fourth AFCON title.
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.
