Uganda head coach Paul Put said Nigeria have the structure, balance and tactical discipline to challenge for the AFCON 2025 title, comparing the current Super Eagles side to the team that won the tournament in 2013.
Speaking after Uganda’s three to one loss to Nigeria on Tuesday night, Put said the way the Super Eagles play within their system mirrors the efficiency of the 2013 champions he faced as Burkina Faso coach in the final.
“I cannot speak for your coach, but of course, in 2013, you had a very good team, but I think today, you also have a very good team. The way the team is playing in the system is comparable to 2013,” Put said.
The Belgian coach added that the resemblance gives Nigeria a strong chance of going deep in Morocco. “I think they have a very good chance to be close to the final,” he said.
Put also reflected on Uganda’s campaign and where qualification slipped away, admitting his side struggled to cope with Nigeria’s pressure on the night.
“I think we should have played for qualification against Nigeria. We had the opportunity against Tanzania to qualify the team in that game, so we would have had this problem,” he said. “We were under pressure today. It was very hard because Nigeria is a difficult team, so I think we lost the qualification against Tanzania.”
Uganda exit the tournament with one point from the group, while Nigeria finish top and advance to the round of sixteen as they continue their push for a fourth AFCON title.
