We need to make Nigerians proud - Frank Onyeka set targets for 2025 AFCON

Super Eagles midfielder Frank Onyeka has called on his teammates to redirect their focus toward winning the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations following a setback in their World Cup qualification campaign.

The call to action comes after Nigeria's hopes of reaching the 2026 FIFA World Cup were dashed.

The team's disappointment was compounded by a 4-3 penalty shootout loss to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the final of an African playoff match in Rabat on Sunday night.

With the World Cup dream over, Onyeka stressed the importance of turning their attention to the AFCON finals.

He said, "We, the players, are hurting, just as much as Nigerians are hurting. Nigerians have every right to be very upset with us. It is very tough not to go to the next World Cup."

The Brentford midfielder also acknowledged the personal impact of the failure, noting the long wait until the next opportunity.

"Some of us may not be around in five years, in 2030. It’s painful. But we have an AFCON to play in 34 days and we need to get ready for that and do better than we did last time," he added.