By Wale Mustapha
Nigerian defender Leon Balogun has emphasized the critical factors needed for the Super Eagles to capture the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title.
The three-time champions were runners-up in the previous edition of the tournament, narrowly losing 2-1 to hosts Ivory Coast in the final. Nigeria’s most recent AFCON triumph came 12 years ago when South Africa hosted the competition.
Currently playing for Rangers in the Scottish Premier League, Balogun believes that for the Super Eagles to succeed in Morocco, they must display ambition, confidence, and, most importantly, a clear strategy.
“The AFCON is a tournament you want to win. Every team comes with ambition,” Balogun told Flashscore.com.
“If Nigeria wants to be champions of Africa, there’s a point to prove after the last AFCON. So, they need to approach it with ambition, confidence, and, crucially, with a clear plan.”
The Super Eagles have been drawn into Group C alongside North African powerhouse Tunisia, Uganda, and Tanzania. Their campaign will kick off against Tanzania on Tuesday, December 23.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career 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.
