Nigeria’s Super Eagles enter the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with heavy hearts and high expectations, still reeling from their failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Footynaija.com reports.
The 4–3 penalty loss to DR Congo in the African playoff final ended a campaign that promised much, leaving the squad with a challenging mental mountain to climb before Morocco hosts the continental tournament starting 21 December.
AFCON 2025 offers the first chance for redemption. Nigeria, drawn in Group C, will face Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania, a lineup that promises competitive fixtures and a test of the team’s mental resilience.
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Former Senegal international Mamadou Niang has warned that recovering from such setbacks is psychologically demanding. “It’s tough,” he said, in a report by Pulse Sports.
“I knew in 2006 when we were eliminated by Togo, led by Emmanuel Adebayor, things got very complicated afterwards. I had a lot of trouble getting over it and even watching the World Cup in Germany.”
“It’s not easy when you start as the favourite in your group and don’t get through,” he added. “It makes you sad, especially since you had a good AFCON.”
Reflecting on when The Lions of Teranga experienced a similar situation, missing out on the 2006 World Cup, Niang added, “We also had a very good AFCON, but it was psychologically difficult to recover from that disappointment and to get running again.”
He emphasised the role of leadership, saying, “Now it’s a collective effort, especially from the leaders and managers, to try and involve the players in the competition. The AFCON is an important competition, even though the World Cup remains the Holy Grail.”
