Former captain of Nigeria’s senior men national football team, John Obi Mikel, has called on the Super Eagles to rise to the occasion and win the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations scheduled to take place in Morocco.
Okay News reports that the former international midfielder made the statement shortly after the head coach of the Nigerian national team, Eric Chelle, unveiled the final twenty-eight-man squad for the continental championship, following weeks of anticipation and debate among fans and analysts.
The Africa Cup of Nations is the flagship football competition organised by the Confederation of African Football, bringing together the best national teams across the continent. Nigeria, represented by the Super Eagles, are three-time champions of the tournament and will be seeking a fourth title in the upcoming edition after narrowly missing out in the previous final.
The squad announcement came after Chelle had initially released a provisional list of fifty-five players earlier in the month, before trimming it down to meet the official deadline set by the Confederation of African Football. The final list included several emerging talents who could earn their first senior international caps, while some established names failed to make the cut.
Among those omitted from the squad are Christantus Uche, Maduka Okoye, and Tolu Arokodare, exclusions that generated mixed reactions within the Nigerian football community. Despite these omissions, the coaching crew expressed confidence in the balance and competitiveness of the selected players.
Reacting to the announcement via social media platform Instagram, Mikel, who played a central role in Nigeria’s triumphant 2013 Africa Cup of Nations campaign, posted a brief but powerful message directed at the team, stating, “Bring it home lads.” The message has since resonated widely among supporters, serving as a rallying cry ahead of the tournament.
Nigeria enters the competition at a time when recent results have raised concerns, particularly following a difficult qualification campaign for the 2026 Fédération Internationale de Football Association World Cup, which the team failed to secure. However, history suggests that the Super Eagles often perform best when expectations are tempered.
The national team reached the final of the last Africa Cup of Nations despite modest pre-tournament expectations, reinforcing the belief that they can once again challenge the continent’s elite and possibly secure a fourth continental title.
