Super Eagles head coach Eric Sékou Chelle has made it clear that the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is not his immediate concern, despite Nigeria being drawn in Group C alongside Uganda, Tunisia, and Tanzania.
Speaking after the draw, Chelle emphasized that his focus remains on Nigeria’s struggling 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, with the team yet to win any of their four matches.
The French-born Malian coach stated that he will only begin serious preparations for AFCON in October 2025, once the crucial World Cup qualifiers in March and September are out of the way.
“There is no small team in AFCON, you need to be focused,” Chelle said. “But right now, I’m focused on my players, the team, and March. We need to be focused on the World Cup qualifiers, and after that, in October, we really can think about AFCON.”
Nigeria will face Rwanda and Zimbabwe in the World Cup qualifiers in March, and Chelle stressed that those games are his priority.
When asked about Tunisia, who eliminated Nigeria in the 2021 AFCON Round of 16, he brushed off concerns, reiterating that the World Cup remains his top objective for now.
“There are four teams in each group, and anyone in AFCON can win the tournament,” he said. “For now, let’s focus on March, please.”
