AFCON 2025: Prepare for the Game of Your Lives Against Morocco — Tijani Yusuf Warns Super Eagles

Former Secretary General of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Dr. Tijani Yusuf, has urged the Super Eagles to brace for the toughest challenge of the tournament when they face host nation Morocco in the semi-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations on Wednesday in Rabat.

According to Dr. Yusuf, playing against a host nation comes with significant challenges, ranging from crowd pressure to perceived officiating bias.

“Playing against host countries in any tournament is always difficult, with the home team enjoying some advantages from organisers and officiating,” Yusuf said. “The support of the home fans — the 12th player — is also a factor that the Super Eagles will have to find a way to overcome. It is going to be one hell of a battle.”

The former NFF scribe cautioned the Super Eagles to remain mentally strong and avoid distractions, both on and off the pitch.

“The Super Eagles should ignore the gimmicks of the Moroccan players and their fans, who might use lasers on our players,” he warned. “Officiating is another big aspect the Eagles must be cautious about. The Moroccans have been highly favoured in this AFCON, and I fear it will not favour Nigeria on Wednesday.”

Despite the challenges, Yusuf expressed confidence in the Super Eagles’ quality and chances of progressing to the final.

“I believe the Eagles will beat Morocco if they play their normal game and are not distracted by fans’ gimmicks and match officials’ intimidation,” he said. “We are the best team so far, and we know we can beat them, all things being equal. The boys must be focused and cautious to succeed.”

Dr. Yusuf, who served as NFF Secretary General when Nigeria won the AFCON title in 1994 in Tunisia, believes the same Nigerian spirit can inspire another famous victory.

“The Nigerian spirit that secured success in Tunis in 1994 will once again see Nigeria overcome the host nation on Wednesday,” he added.

Looking ahead, Yusuf also tipped Egypt’s Pharaohs to defeat Senegal’s Teranga Lions in the other semi-final, predicting a Nigeria–Egypt final on Sunday.

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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