Tijani Babangida Backs Super Eagles To Lift AFCON, Heal World Cup Heartbreak

Former Nigeria winger Tijani Babangida believes the Super Eagles can restore pride by winning the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after the pain of missing out on the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Nigeria suffered a major setback when Eric Chelle’s side fell to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the African playoffs, confirming a second consecutive World Cup absence. The result triggered strong reactions from supporters who had expected the team to return to the global stage.

Babangida says the disappointment is still fresh but insists the focus must now shift to the continental stage. Speaking in an interview with Tribal Football, the former Ajax star confessed the outcome was difficult to accept.

“I think that after the unfortunate experience of missing the FIFA World Cup back-to-back, it is still very painful to digest this reality,” he said.

He added that winning the title in Morocco would help reshape the image of Nigerian football and inspire belief among fans ahead of future campaigns.

“However, the next target is the AFCON tournament, which can be used to redeem the image of Nigerian football,” Babangida said.

Nigeria will be chasing a fourth continental crown when the tournament kicks off next weekend, and expectations remain high following their impressive run at the last edition, where they finished as runners-up.

Babangida admits the challenge will be steep, especially with several strong teams heading into the tournament with World Cup momentum. Even so, he is convinced the Super Eagles have the talent and resilience to go the distance.