Udeze to Oliseh: Super Eagles Right to Celebrate AFCON 2025 Bronze
Former Super Eagles defender Ifeanyi Udeze has pushed back against Sunday Oliseh’s criticism of Nigeria’s bronze medal celebrations at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.
Oliseh, a former captain and 1994 AFCON winner, had branded the team’s jubilant reaction to finishing third as ‘mediocrity,’ recalling an era when players wept after settling for bronze. He argued that Nigeria’s decline began when the team grew content with anything less than gold.
“Celebrating third-place breeds a culture of mediocrity. If we want to be Africa’s best again, wild celebration of anything less than gold must stop immediately,” Oliseh said.
But Udeze, speaking on radio, disagreed. He insisted the players went to Morocco with the intention of winning the title, and while they fell short, their achievement still deserved recognition.
‘I disagree with Oliseh. These players didn’t leave Nigeria to say they are going to Morocco to win bronze. But as we always say, ‘at all at all na him bad.’ Yes, they won something, and if they won something at all, they can celebrate,’ Udeze explained.
He added that celebrating bronze does not mean the players were satisfied with failure, but rather that they acknowledged the effort it took to secure a medal.
Nigeria eventually claimed a record-extending ninth AFCON bronze after defeating Egypt 4-2 on penalties in the third-place playoff.
