AFCON 2025: “We’ll be more ready” – William Troost-Ekong discusses Nigeria’s chances

By Wale Mustapha

Nigeria’s Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong, has expressed confidence that the team will be fully prepared to challenge for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title.

After the tournament draw on Monday, which placed Nigeria in Group C alongside Tunisia, Uganda, and Tanzania, Troost-Ekong emphasized the importance of respecting their group opponents and downplayed any notion of an “easy group.”

He believes that the Super Eagles have learned valuable lessons from their second-place finish in the 2023 edition, where they lost 2-1 in the final to host nation Ivory Coast.

“AFCON 2025 draw is now over, very exciting to see the groups. Tunisia, Uganda, and Tanzania. Three teams that need to be respected,” Troost-Ekong said.

“I think we have the experience now on how to handle situations like this. There are no easy games again in Africa. That’s common knowledge now.”

Troost-Ekong, who played a pivotal role in Nigeria’s run to the final in 2023, emphasized that this time around, the team will be more prepared to go a step further and lift the trophy.

“However, I believe we have what it takes to come out of this group and this time go all the way. We learned so much last year from the AFCON in Abidjan. This time, we will be more ready and work hard throughout the year to make sure everyone is fit and ready,” he added.

The Super Eagles captain is also looking forward to working with the team’s new coach as they prepare for the tournament. With a year of preparation ahead, Troost-Ekong is optimistic that the Super Eagles will be ready to make a strong push for their fourth continental title.

“We are looking forward to playing under the new coach. Exciting year ahead, and I’m very happy with the AFCON draw,” Troost-Ekong concluded.

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations will take place in Morocco from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, with 24 teams competing for the prestigious title.

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.

See Full Bio