Africa’s best 19 national teams will in August square up against each other in the quest to be crowned champions in the 2025 TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
Many football fans are edgy wondering if the home-based Super Eagles will this time around break the jinx and lift the elusive continental trophy for domestically groomed senior national male football players in the continent.
Before now, Nigeria had never won the tournament despite its abundance of football talents, hence the country has set its target on winning the CHAN trophy, one of the few continental titles missing from the its cabinet.
The championship earlier fixed to kick-start in February, which has now been postopned till August will feature countries such as Nigeria, Morocco, Tanzania, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Mauritania, Madagascar, Niger, Guinea, Uganda, Senegal, Sudan, and Congo, among others.
Nigeria’s chances of winning the 2025 CHAN depends on the quality of players, their form, the technical and tactical level of the coaches, among other factors.
In terms of the quality of the players, the home-based Super Eagles have shown potential, especially in their last match against Ghana, where they defeated their opponents 3-1.
As always, Nigeria’s strength lies in its depth of talent, with many capable players from the domestic league, available for selection, but the problem has been in the team’s chemistry, preparation time, and competing against strong teams such as Morocco, Senegal, and Madagascar could affect their chances.
Nevertheless, if NFF could assemble a solid team, with good preparation and tactical discipline, Nigeria has a competitive chance of going far in the tournament.
But that is not ruling out the possible opposition that would come from countries such as Morocco, Senegal, and Congo.
Though the final list of players will be determined in the nearest future before the team departs, it is likely Nigeria will feature a blend of young and enterprising talents with the experienced ones.
Here are the seven possible players that will form the nucleus of the 2025 CHAN Super Eagles squad:
Henry Ozoemena (Enyimba FC)
Henry Ozoemena is the shot stopper of Enyimba International of Aba who is in the form of Emmanuel Okalla of the then Rangers International of Enugu.
Ozoemena will make a great impact in the team if selected haven justified his inclusion against Ghana by pulling a couple of saves to keep a clean sheet; before he made numerous saves in Uyo to help the team triumph.
Chijioke Akuneto (Rivers United)
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One of the top strikers in the NPFL, Akuneto has been clinical in front of goal and could be a major attacking threat for Nigeria in the competition.
Ifeanyi Onyebuchi (Rangers FC):
Ifeanyi Onyebuchi is a solid defender for the home-based Super Eagles. The Enugu Rangers blockbuster defender was one of the three players coach Daniel Ogunmodede described as outstanding in their training camp.
Nduka Junior:
Nduka Junior is an enterprising player that is set to make a name for himself at continental tournament.
He is a key player the team can rely on, he has a commanding influence and leadership at the defence, and can push the team forward. He scored the team’s second goal against Ghana.
Papa Daniel (Niger Tornadoes):
Papa Daniel is a creative midfielder, who shined like stars for the Super Eagles in their both legs against Ghana in Accra and at Uyo.
He is left footed and an energetic player that is comfortable on the ball, throwing tailored passes to his team mates.
Rabiu Ali (Kano Pillars):
Rabiu Ali is a veteran midfield maestro who is the captain of Kano Pillars.
He made the matchday squad against Ghana for both legs of the final playoffs. He brings experience to the team, and motivates the younger ones to excel.
Aminu Mohammed (Kano Pillars)
A versatile forward capable of scoring goals, Mohammed has been a promising player in the domestic league and will likely be a key asset for the Super Eagles B attack.
Charles Ogwo
Charles Ogwo, Head, Education Desk at BusinessDay Media is a seasoned proactive journalist with over a decade of reportage experience.
Source: @BusinessDay
