‘They have a very good chance’ - Uganda head coach tips Nigeria to win AFCON, claims they are very hard to beat

The Super Eagles have been a dominant force at AFCON 2025, emerging from the group stage with a flawless record. 

They are the only team to have won all three of their group matches, securing victories against Tunisia, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Nigeria's attack is seriously versatile, having netted a tournament-high eight goals, and what is cool is those goals have been spread out among six different players.

Following his team's 3-1 loss to the Super Eagles on Tuesday, Put drew parallels between the current Nigerian squad and the celebrated team that conquered the continent in 2013. The Belgian manager is confident that Eric Chelle's side is poised for a deep run in the tournament.

Speaking at the post-match press conference in Fes, Put elaborated on his assessment after Nigeria's victory confirmed Uganda's group-stage exit.

"I cannot speak for your coach, but of course, in 2013, you had a very good team. I think today, you also have a very good team," Put remarked. "The way the team is playing in the system is comparable to 2013."

The 69-year-old, who has also coached Kenya, believes this resemblance gives Nigeria a strong opportunity to compete for the title in Morocco. "I think they have a very good chance to be close to the final," he added.

Put conceded that his team struggled under Nigeria's relentless pressure and pinpointed an earlier match as the moment their qualification hopes faded.

"We were under pressure today. It was very hard because Nigeria is a difficult team," Put stated. "I think we lost the qualification against Tanzania. We had the opportunity against Tanzania to qualify... so we would not have had this problem."

Uganda finished their campaign with a single point, while Nigeria progressed to the round of 16 as the winners of Group C. 

The Super Eagles will now face the third-placed team from Group F as they continue their quest for a fourth AFCON crown.