Nigeria names star-studded 28-man AFCON 2025 squad

ABUJA, Nigeria — Nigeria has unveiled a 28-man squad for the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, featuring a formidable array of attacking talent spearheaded by former CAF Player of the Year award winners Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman.

Osimhen, the 2023 African Footballer of the Year currently playing for Galatasaray in Turkey, and Lookman, who succeeded him as the continent’s outstanding player and represents Italian side Atalanta, headline the Super Eagles’ contingent.

Their inclusion positions Nigeria as strong contenders for the title, despite the recent award going to Morocco captain and defender Achraf Hakimi.

Tournament schedule and Group C dynamics

The Super Eagles are set to commence their Group C campaign on December 23 against Tanzania.

They will then face Tunisia four days later and conclude the group stage against Uganda on December 30.

All of Nigeria’s first-round matches will take place in the Moroccan city of Fes.

Group winners and runners-up automatically secure a place in the knockout stage, with the top four third-placed teams across the six mini-leagues also advancing to the round of 16.

Nigeria and Tunisia are widely favored to occupy the top two positions, leaving the two East African sides likely competing for the vital third-place spot and potential survival.

Before the tournament kicks off, Nigeria will fine-tune their preparations by facing fellow AFCON title contenders Egypt in a warm-up match scheduled for December 16 in Cairo.

Squad composition and key absentees

Ivory Coast-born coach Eric Chelle opted for an abundance of forward talent, selecting nine strikers, complemented by three goalkeepers, eight defenders, and eight midfielders.

The squad selection saw some notable omissions, including forward Victor Boniface from Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen and recent Wolverhampton Wanderers signing Tolu Arokodare.

Key players included in the final selection:

• Fulham connection: Premier League club Fulham supplies three players: centre-back Calvin Bassey, midfielder Alex Iwobi, and on-loan striker Samuel Chukwueze. Chukwueze, on loan from AC Milan with an option to make the deal permanent, recently scored twice in a high-scoring 5-4 loss to Manchester City.
• Goalkeeper concern: Chelle included currently injured first-choice goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, who plays for South African Premiership side Chippa United.

AFCON history

Nigeria boasts a strong AFCON pedigree, having lifted the trophy three times.

Their most recent triumph came in 2013 when they secured a 1-0 victory over Burkina Faso in the final held in Johannesburg.

Last year, the team finished as runners-up to the hosts, Ivory Coast.

Nigeria 2025 AFCON squad