'We don’t care' - Super Eagles star unfazed by Moroccan home crowd

Super Eagles defender Chidozie Awaziem has played down concerns over Morocco’s strong home support ahead of Nigeria’s AFCON 2025 semi-final showdown against the host nation.

Nigeria will face the Atlas Lions on Wednesday at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, where Morocco has enjoyed overwhelming backing from their fans throughout the tournament.

The hosts have been roared on to four wins in five matches, making the atmosphere one of the most intimidating at the competition.

However, Awaziem insists the Super Eagles remain unfazed by the expected hostile environment, stressing that the team’s focus is firmly on executing their game plan.

“We saw the Moroccan team supporting us against the Algerians, and I know that some will still be supporting us,” Awaziem said during Nigeria’s final training session on Tuesday.

He added, “We don’t care about the support, we don’t care about the crowd. We just want to focus on ourselves, not get distracted, and try to get the job done.”

The semi-final represents another major test for Nigeria against a host nation. The Super Eagles faced a similar challenge at the 2023 AFCON, where they lost 2-1 to Côte d’Ivoire in the final, despite beating the Ivorians 1-0 earlier in the group stage.