Aghahowa: Super Eagles Would Have Beaten Senegal in AFCON 2025 Final
Former Nigerian international Julius Aghahowa believes the Super Eagles would have beaten Senegal in the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations if they had advanced past Morocco in the semi-finals.
Nigeria lost 4-2 on penalties to the hosts in Rabat, with Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi seeing their spot kicks saved by Yassine Bounou.
Senegal went on to defeat Egypt 1-0 in their semi-final and then overcame Morocco by the same margin in the final to claim their second continental crown.
Nigeria eventually finished third, beating Egypt 4-2 on penalties in the bronze medal match.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s campaign, Aghahowa said: ‘If the Super Eagles had played the final, they would have won the tournament; they would have won the cup because of the way they played throughout the group stage; the quarterfinal, the semi-final, the way they played.’
The former striker, who was Nigeria’s hero in the 2000 AFCON semi-final against Senegal, also emphasized the cultural significance of the competition.
‘The AFCON is not just a tournament for African players who play abroad or back home; you are representing the whole country. It is like you are representing your people, so it is a significant tournament for Africans all over the world. It is a very, very strong culture.’
