Nigerian winger Samuel Chukwueze believes the African Cup of Nations is one of the world’s biggest tournaments , insisting it deserves the same level of respect as other major competitions amid criticism of its timing, SportPremi reports.
The Africa Cup of Nations is the continent’s equivalent of the European Championship, although it is held every two years and often takes place during the club season.
The 2025 edition in Morocco kicked off last Sunday while most top European leagues were still in session, meaning invited players were forced to miss club duties.
The final will hold on the 18th of January 2026, meaning certain players could miss up to a month of action for their European club sides.
The tournament has often come under criticism for its poor timing, as it often takes place in a crucial period during the European club football season.
Chukwueze alongside Nigerian teammates Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi could miss up to six games for English club Fulham, depending on the extent of their participation at the competition.
In response to this, president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Dr Patrice Motsepe, announced several changes to the current format of the competition.
The AFCON tournament will now take place every four years from 2028, with the introduction of a new African Nations League, reducing the club-country row on players’ participation.
What Chukwueze said
Samuel Chukwueze was one of the most impressive players in Nigeria’s 2-1 win over Tanzania last Tuesday and will be eyeing another great display against Tunisia in their second group game on Saturday.
The winger is expected to start on the right side of attack for the Super Eagles as they chase qualification for the knockout rounds with a victory.
Reacting to the scheduling of the competition, the 26-year-old acknowledged the wrong timing, but is of the opinion that footballers should respect the tournament.
“Everybody wants to play in AFCON. It’s one of the best competitions in the world. You have to respect the AFCON the same way you respect the European Championship or World Cup”, Chukwueze stated.
“We understand they scheduled it at the wrong time of the year, but when it’s important, if you get recalled you have to go. You don’t have any choice, your club can’t stop you and no one should say anything bad about the AFCON. Yes, they put it at the wrong time, but saying it’s not a good competition or a great competition is unacceptable”, he concluded.
Nigeria face Tunisia at the Fez Stadium on Saturday night in their second group match, before concluding group stage action against Uganda on the 30th.
