Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President, Ibrahim Musa Gusau, has explained why Super Eagles players were absent from the official bronze medal presentation at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.
Following Nigeria’s third-place victory over Egypt, questions arose over why the Super Eagles did not receive their medals at the ceremony. Gusau clarified that the situation was largely due to club commitments affecting both teams involved in the playoff.
“The players could not wait to receive their medals on Sunday,” Gusau explained. “Their clubs were already after them to come back immediately after Saturday’s game.
“I have the medals in my possession. And this is the case for Egypt too, not just us. Had the medal ceremony taken place on the day of the match, they would have had the medals.”
The NFF president’s clarification confirms that the Super Eagles’ medals will be handed over to the players at a later date, bringing to rest speculations surrounding their absence from the ceremony.
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.
