{"id":822785,"date":"2025-01-29T10:11:59","date_gmt":"2025-01-29T16:11:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/01\/29\/its-never-going-to-be-easy-ex-everton-captain-predicts-title-run-for-chelles-nigeria-at-afcon-2025\/"},"modified":"2025-01-29T10:11:59","modified_gmt":"2025-01-29T16:11:59","slug":"its-never-going-to-be-easy-ex-everton-captain-predicts-title-run-for-chelles-nigeria-at-afcon-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/01\/29\/its-never-going-to-be-easy-ex-everton-captain-predicts-title-run-for-chelles-nigeria-at-afcon-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cIt\u2019s never going to be easy\u201d \u2013 Ex-Everton captain predicts title run for Chelle\u2019s Nigeria at AFCON 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

Soccer <\/p>\n

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Former Nigeria international and ex-Everton captain Joseph Yobo has has expressed confidence in the Super Eagles\u2019 ability to reclaim Africa\u2019s top football prize at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, Soccernet.ng<\/a> reports<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Yobo, who led Nigeria to their last AFCON triumph in 2013, believes the team has the quality and leadership to go all the way.<\/p>\n

The Super Eagles, three-time AFCON winners (1980, 1994, and 2013), are aiming to bounce back after narrowly losing the 2023 final 2-1 to C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire.<\/p>\n

\"Soccer
Terem Moffi, Raphael Onyedika Nwadike and Bruno Onyemaechi of Nigeria during the TotalEnergies Caf Africa Cup of Nations Afcon 2023 match between Cote D Ivoire and Nigeria at Stade D Ebimpe on January 18, 2024 in Abidjan, Cote d Ivoire. Photo by IMAGO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Get Our Sports News First \u2013 Join Our WhatsApp Channel Now!<\/a><\/h4>\n

Now led by head coach Eric Chelle, the team faces a renewed challenge following Monday\u2019s draw in Rabat, where Yobo played a prominent role as a guest and draw assistant.<\/p>\n

Nigeria have been placed in Group C<\/a> alongside Tunisia, Uganda, and Tanzania.
The Super Eagles have never lost a competitive fixture against Tanzania, while they boast a decent AFCON record against Uganda and Tunisia.<\/p>\n

\"Soccer
World Cup Qualifier: Nigeria v Liberia 03 September 2021, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Qualifier, World Cup, Nigeria v Liberia: Yobo Joseph of Nigeria Lagos Teslim Balogun Stadium Lagos Nigeria. Photo by IMAGO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Despite the Super Eagles\u2019 solid record against these opponents, Yobo cautioned that the road to success will be demanding.<\/p>\n

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\u201cLooking at the group, it\u2019s never going to be easy for us, but knowing the Super Eagles, coming out of the group is never a problem,\u201d Yobo told Cafonline<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Nigeria boast an impressive AFCON record, having reached the knockout stages in 18 of their 20 appearances. The last time they failed to progress beyond the group stage was 1982.<\/p>\n

\"Soccer
LAGOS, NIGERIA. NOVEMBER 16: Coach Joseph Yobo, Super Eagles of Nigeria during the 2022 World Cup Qualifier between Nigeria and Cape Verde Cape Verde at Teslim Balogun Stadium on November 16, 2021 in Nigeria. Photo by IMAGO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Yobo, who is Nigeria\u2019s most capped defender in history, highlighted the importance of Nigeria building on their runner-up finish in 2023.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI hope that we start very well and take that momentum to the final. It\u2019s about time we get our hands on the trophy again. I think we have the players and a wonderful new coach to make that happen,\u201d said the former defender, who captained Nigeria to their last AFCON triumph in 2013.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The group\u2019s toughest test will likely come from Tunisia, who eliminated Nigeria in the 2021 Round of 16. Uganda and Tanzania, meanwhile, are considered underdogs but are determined to leave their mark.<\/p>\n

\"Soccer
REMO, NIGERIA \u2013 JANUARY 14: Eric S\u00e9kou Chelle after the Nigeria Football Federation unveiled the new Head Coach of the Super Eagles, Eric S\u00e9kou Chelle and a visit to Super Eagles B at Remo Stars Stadium on January 14, 2025 in Remo, Nigeria. Photo by IMAGO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Yobo emphasised the need for consistency and focus, adding,<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe do have a very good team. It\u2019s all about carrying that energy from the group stages and keeping the momentum.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Nigeria have been one of the most successful nations in AFCON history. In 20 appearances, the Super Eagles have collected 16 medals, including three titles, five runners-up finishes, and eight bronze medals.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"Soccer\t\t<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\tImhonlamhen Eronmhonsele\t\t\t\t<\/a>
\n\t\t\t<\/h3>\n

\n\t\t\t\tImhonlamhen Eronmhonsele turns into a ball of passion when writing about Nigerian football and its talents, whether rising stars or established legends, locally and abroad.<\/p>\n

From the deepest corners of the Middle East, to the green fields of the Americas, to the celebrated grounds in Europe, and the rich soils of Africa, Imhons is more than glad, usually with a glass of a tasty drink nearby, to capture the essence of the game, by connecting the dots between culture, identity, and football.\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Read More<\/a>Imhonlamhen Eronmhonsele<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Soccer Former Nigeria international and ex-Everton captain Joseph Yobo has has expressed confidence in the Super Eagles\u2019 ability to reclaim Africa\u2019s top football prize at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, Soccernet.ng reports.\u00a0 Yobo, who led Nigeria to their last AFCON triumph in 2013, believes the team has the quality and leadership […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":822786,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[903,29038,2005],"tags":[6972,5517],"class_list":{"0":"post-822785","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-going","8":"category-its","9":"category-soccer","10":"tag-going","11":"tag-its"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/822785","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=822785"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/822785\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/822786"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=822785"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=822785"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=822785"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}