The group is not easy - Super Eagles captain Ekong talks tough ahead of AFCON

Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has acknowledged that Nigeria faces a challenging path in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, highlighting Tunisia, Uganda, and Tanzania as formidable opponents.

After a heartbreaking loss to Côte d’Ivoire in the last final, the three-time champions are determined to secure their fourth continental title in Morocco. However, their journey begins in a competitive Group C.

Speaking to CAFOnline, Troost-Ekong emphasised that the team is not underestimating any of their group-stage rivals. He pointed to past encounters as evidence of the difficulty ahead.

"Difficult. Tunisia knocked us out in the 2021 round of 16 and beat many in World Cup qualifying without conceding. They’re high in confidence," he said.

"Tanzania and Uganda are also tough, we’ve faced them in several qualifiers. There’s no 'cruise' at AFCON. We want top spot to help the next round, but no one in our camp thinks this group is easy."

Despite Nigeria's strong squad, Troost-Ekong downplayed the notion that the Super Eagles are the outright favorites to win the tournament.

"I think that’s overstated. We’ve got an amazing squad, too many players to name, but objectively, Morocco are at home and in great form; Côte d’Ivoire are defending champions; Senegal… there’s no such thing as a clear favourite at AFCON," he explained.

He added, "Last time, not many tipped us to go that far. You can’t win a tournament with expectations, and we won’t get complacent. AFCON is difficult, and strong teams can emerge from unexpected places. We trust ourselves, but I wouldn’t say we’re clear favourites."

However, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed that the Super Eagles will face Egypt in a Pre-AFCON Friendly.