AFCON 2025: Super Eagles third-favourites to lift trophy as Supercomputer makes grim semifinals prediction

Nigeria’s Super Eagles have seen their AFCON 2025 title hopes surge following a string of dominant performances, but fresh data suggests their road to glory remains steep.

Despite knocking out Mozambique and Algeria, Opta’s supercomputer still ranks Nigeria behind two rivals heading into the semi-finals.

Before the tournament kicked off, Nigeria were not considered serious favourites despite boasting stars like Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman.

Opta’s supercomputer initially gave the Super Eagles just a 7.3% chance of winning AFCON 2025, ranking them fifth behind Morocco, Egypt, Senegal and Algeria.

That assessment quickly changed after Nigeria stormed through the group stage with a perfect nine points, winning all three matches in style.

Their flawless run saw Opta revise their title chances to 10.09% before the knockout phase. Further victories over Mozambique in the Round of 16 and Algeria in the quarterfinals have now lifted Nigeria’s odds significantly to 22.76%, underlining their growing credibility as genuine contenders.

Despite the improved numbers, Nigeria remain only the third-favourites among the four teams left in the competition.

Their semi-final opponents, hosts Morocco, are the outright favourites to lift the trophy with a 33.94% chance, and the supercomputer gives the Atlas Lions a daunting 57.15% probability of beating the Super Eagles to reach the final.

On the opposite side of the draw, 2021 champions Senegal are favourites to make the final with a 55.13% chance and are rated second overall to win the tournament at 24.73%. Egypt, inspired by Mohamed Salah’s form, are given a slim 18.38% chance of lifting the trophy.

While the data paints a challenging picture, Nigeria’s momentum and resilience suggest the Super Eagles may yet defy the numbers once again.