Soccer
Paul Onuachu and Uche Ikpeazu during the Africa Cup of Nations AFCON match between Uganda and the Super Eagles of Nigeria on December 30th, 2025 at Complexe Sportif De Stade, Fes, Morocco. Photo by Segun OgunfeyitimixImago
Uganda and St Johnstone striker Uche Ikpeazu has revealed the nation he’ll be backing to win the AFCON 2025 tournament, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Super Eagles already secured a round of sixteen spot ahead of the game against Uganda, although the chances of Paul Put’s side making it to the next round banked on securing three points against Nigeria.
However, Paul Onuachu’s goal and a brace from Raphael Onyedika confirmed Uganda will not move past the group stage of the AFCON 2025.
Before the clash, Ikpeazu was hyped as he’d be playing against his father’s nation while representing the Ugandan side, where his mother hails from.
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Soccer AFCON 2025: Uganda’s Ikpeazu tips Super Eagles to win title
The former Cardiff City striker played 85 minutes against Nigeria at the Complexe de Fes, and was the most fouled player on the pitch.
However, the 30-year-old labelled the match as the toughest of his career, claiming the Super Eagles are the standard Uganda aspire to.
“It’s the hardest game of my career, one of the hardest games in terms of not being able to get into it as I normally would, but I’ve done the best I could,” Ikpeazu told Victor Ademola.
“The quality of our team showed today, and I think some of the goals were our mistakes, but I think it’s a learning curve, so we’ve got a young group, and we’ll learn.
“I can do better, we can do better, but we tried our best, and that’s the most important thing in all of this.
“Uganda is an amazing national team, and I love them and the culture there. It’s obviously sad that we’re out of the competition, but I wish Nigeria the best,” the former Middlesbrough striker continued.
Uche Ikpeazu “I’ll be supporting Nigeria to lift the AFCON. Uganda is a great national team — much respect to them.”#AdemolaVictorAtAFCON2025
Powered by Mr. Chef Nigeria, proud sponsors of the Super Eagles pic.twitter.com/ffUw4ZAN6k— Dr. Victor Ademola (@AdemolaVictorTv) December 30, 2025
Quizzed about the African team he’ll be backing to go all the way to claim a gold medal in Morocco, he mentioned Nigeria without any hesitation.
“I’ll be supporting Nigeria. What I can say is that they’re a special group, a tight group.
“I’ve been in the changing room, chatting to them; they’re very humble, and the togetherness is there.
“That’s the standard, that’s the quality. So that’s what we aspire to. It’s a learning curve,” Ikpeazu concluded.
The Super Eagles will be without Alebiosu for the remainder of the tournament after the Blackburn Rovers full-back suffered a deep cut on his right leg.
Adefolahan Guerreiro
Adefolahan is a multilingual sports journalist and football writer whose work spans outlets like Soccernet Nigeria, Pure Football UK, and Royalsportz.
With a sharp eye for detail and a background in college sports, he tells the African football story with depth, flair, and global perspective.
Fluent in English, Spanish, and German, he brings a cross-cultural voice to his coverage, blending insight with accessibility for readers around the world.
His portfolio includes interviews with top Nigerian stars like Finidi George, Junior Lokosa, Sikiru Alimi, Sodiq Ismaila, and Abraham Onahi Ogbu.
A devoted Borussia Dortmund fan, Adefolahan thrives on the emotion and rhythm of the beautiful game. Away from work, he’s a sci-fi enthusiast and series lover who enjoys exploring how sport, storytelling, and culture collide.
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