AFCON 2025: Ogenyi Onazi Backs Super Eagles, Sees 2013 Title Parallels

Former Nigeria midfielder and 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) winner, Ogenyi Onazi, has expressed strong confidence in Nigeria’s current squad at the ongoing AFCON 2025 in Morocco, drawing striking parallels with the team that lifted the trophy in South Africa 12 years ago.

Speaking on recent reports of internal issues within the Super Eagles camp, Onazi revealed that similar situations existed during Nigeria’s victorious 2013 campaign—particularly ahead of their quarter-final clash against Côte d’Ivoire.

“We also had issues in our squad before an important match at AFCON 2013 against Côte d’Ivoire in the quarter-final,” Onazi recalled on Supersport.

“We had issues on the same day we were to play the match. We were just having lunch with less than four hours to kickoff.”

According to the former Lazio midfielder, what mattered most was how the team responded to those challenges.

“Fortunately, we turned it into positive energy. If they told you that we had big arguments and issues before that game, you will doubt it,” he said.

“When we got to the field, it was a different thing entirely and nobody heard about it until after the game.”

Onazi believes the current Super Eagles squad shares the same mental strength and unity that defined the 2013 champions, while also possessing greater depth and tactical flexibility.

“We have similar characteristics between this current team and the one that won the AFCON in 2013,” he stated.

“They have more options than we had when we played because we had little changes from the bench.”

He further praised head coach Éric Chelle for the wealth of quality at his disposal.

“Here, anyone who comes on is replaced by an equal player in terms of quality. Eric Chelle has a lot of options to be able to utilize,” Onazi added.

Nigeria, three-time AFCON champions, are chasing a fourth continental title in Morocco, and Onazi’s words will resonate as reassurance that unity, depth, and focus—rather than internal noise—often

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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