Former Nigerian international Sam Sodje has said he would prefer Nigeria to sit out the 2025 AFCON in order to address the deep-rooted issues within the country’s football system, SportPremi reports.
The Super Eagles will compete at the 2025 edition of the African Cup of Nations tournament in Morocco in group C, alongside Tanzania, Tunisia and Uganda.
The three-time African champions finished second at the 2023 edition, following a 2-1 defeat to Ivory Coast in the final.
They sealed qualification for this year’s event after finishing top of their group, which also included second-placed Benin Republic, Rwanda and Libya.
However, they failed to reach the 2026 FIFA World Cup after losing to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the CAF playoff final.
Eric Chelle’s men had finished second in their group and qualified for the continental playoff rounds as one of the best-ranked runners-up at the conclusion of the group stages and also defeat Gabon 4-1 in the playoff semifinal.
The AFCON tournament will kick off on the 21st of this month, with host country Morocco going up against Comoros.
What Sodje said about Nigeria’s AFCON participation
The Nigerian Football Federation has been embroiled in several controversies in the buildup to the tournament , with reports surfacing about head coach Eric Chelle being owed by the Federation.
Also, captain William Troost-Ekong announced his shock retirement, while the players also boycotted training in November ahead of their clash against Gabon over unpaid bonuses.
According to Sodje, the NFF must take the necessary steps to avoid further complications heading into subsequent tournaments.
“I’m not happy that we are going to the AFCON because I see it as a distraction, I believe the Nigeria Football Federation needs to fix our football, although I still hope the team performs well at the tournament”, the ex-defender stated.
“I wish we were not going to the competition so we could focus on fixing our football. It may sound harsh, but it is the truth. I don’t think people realise how low Nigerian football is at the moment, which is why I believe the tournament serves as a distraction from reality.
Hopefully, they can go there and go one step further than they did last time,” he continued
The former Super Eagles defender also defended the inclusion of Trabzonspor striker Paul Onuachu in the squad after a little while away from the team.
“Anyone who is playing well at their club deserves a chance in the national team. Yes, it hasn’t worked out for him with the national team in the past, but he is playing very well at the moment”, Sodje added.
“We are also trying to ensure that our team is not a one-man team that depends solely on Victor Osimhen.
If someone can come in and share the goalscoring responsibility, I think it would be a great addition. Considering the kind of season he is having, I hope he gets an opportunity to play”, he concluded.
Nigeria will face Egypt in preparation for the AFCON tournament on Tuesday, before playing their first match of the competition against Tanzania on the 23rd.
