By Kunle Solaja.

It is 10 days to Nigeria’s first match at the 35^th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. A fairly new starting XI could be in the offing as Nigeria’s squad announcement marks a decisive shift in philosophy.

It appears that Eric Chelle is building a new Super Eagles core, even if it means accelerated risk on the biggest stage. It is more like a post-World Cup elimination reset.

After failing to reach the 2026 World Cup, the Super Eagles were at a crossroads. Chelle’s decision to introduce five uncapped players signals a strategic reset rather than incremental tweaks. This is a coach willing to refresh the team’s identity — fast.

While Nigeria retains established stars like Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Alex Iwobi and Wilfred Ndidi, the squad features a growing midfield built around youth.

At the last AFCON, Jose Peseiro often struggled to transition from defence to attack; Chelle appears intent on solving that through younger, more press-resistant midfielders.

Players like Akinsanmiro and Nnadi offer both mobility and technical security — traits Nigeria has lacked consistently since the Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha and Mikel Obi eras.

Morocco 2025 appears signalling a new generation of fullbacks. Alebiosu’s inclusion highlights the need for modern fullbacks who can defend wide spaces and contribute creatively. With Ola Aina injured and ageing options thinning out, Nigeria is accelerating the grooming of long-term solutions.

Salim Fago Lawal is the clearest example. Though untested at senior level, his physicality and instinct make him an intriguing wildcard. Chelle is signalling that potential now carries as much weight as experience.

Nigeria’s recent AFCON failures often stemmed from a lack of fresh legs and tactical flexibility. With energetic new midfielders and a versatile young fullback, the team stands to gain pressing intensity, rotation options and tactical unpredictability

The selection sends a quiet but unmistakable message: No place is guaranteed. Even established forwards like Tolu Arokodare are dropped if form dips.

Short-Term Risk, Long-Term Reward

The gamble is real. Debutants at a major continental tournament may struggle with nerves or inconsistency. But if managed well, Nigeria could emerge from AFCON with a rejuvenated core. A settled identity and a foundation for the 2027 AFCON and 2030 World Cup cycle.

Chelle’s youth movement represents Nigeria’s boldest generational shift since the Class of 2013. Whether it sparks an immediate AFCON run or simply lays the groundwork for future success, the Super Eagles have clearly begun a new chapter.

MEET THE NEW SUPER EAGLES PLAYERS

Ryan Alebiosu (Right Back, Blackburn Rovers) – The Modern Fullback

A dynamic, attack-minded defender who came through Arsenal’s academy, Alebiosu offers pace, overlapping runs and smart ball recovery. With Ola Aina ruled out, he could step directly into the starting XI and give Nigeria width on the right flank.

FACT FILE:

Age: 22

• Background: Arsenal academy graduate, now flourishing in the Championship.
• Strengths: Pace, ball progression, recovery tackles.
• Possible Reason for Selection: Offers modern fullback qualities and can play both defensive and attacking roles.

Ebenezer Akinsanmiro (Midfielder, Pisa) – The Deep-Lying Creator

A former Remo Stars prodigy with a refined passing range, Akinsanmiro is emerging as a conductor from midfield. Calm under pressure and tactically mature beyond his years, he is seen as a long-term solution in Nigeria’s build-up play.

FACT FILE:

• Age: 19
• Background: Former Remo Stars product who moved to Inter Milan before joining Pisa.
• Strengths: Sharp passing range, press resistance, tactical maturity.
• Possible Reason for Selection: Seen as a long-term creative midfield option with high development potential.

Tochukwu Nnadi (Midfielder, Zulte Waregem) – The Box-to-Box Engine

Fresh from an impressive transition to European football, Nnadi brings energy, pressing intensity and strong ball-winning skills. His athletic profile makes him ideal for Chelle’s high-tempo transitions.

FACT FILE:

• Age: 20
• Background: Ex-Flying Eagles midfielder who has adapted quickly to European football.
• Strengths: Ball-winning, tempo control, transitional intelligence.
• Possible Reason for Selection: Provides energy and balance in midfield; fits Chelle’s vertical style.

Usman Muhammed — Midfielder, Ironi Tiberias (Israel) – The Tactical Disruptor

Muhammed has made a quiet but steady rise in Israel. Disciplined, positionally sharp and hardworking, he is the type of midfielder who plugs gaps and stabilises the structure — invaluable in tournament football.

FACT FILE:

• Age: 23
• Background: Quiet but rapid rise in Israel’s top division.
• Strengths: Work rate, tackling, versatility in deeper roles.
• Possible Reason for Selection: Chelle was reportedly impressed by his discipline and positional understanding.

Salim Fago Lawal — Striker, Istra 1961 (Croatia) – The Wildcard Finisher

A powerful young striker with strong aerial ability, Lawal is direct, fearless and unpredictable. Still raw but full of upside, he adds a different flavour to Nigeria’s attack and may benefit from playing alongside elite finishers like Osimhen and Lookman.

• Age: 21
• Background: Former U-20 striker who has progressed quickly in Croatia.
• Strengths: Direct running, aerial presence, instinctive finishing.
• Possible Reason for Selection: A raw but explosive forward option; viewed as a high-upside project.

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By Kunle Solaja.

Nigeria named five debutants in a revamped 28-man squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, with coach Eric Chelle opting for a bold injection of youth and first-time internationals following last month’s painful World Cup elimination.

Right back Ryan Alebiosu, midfielders Ebenezer Akinsanmiro, Tochukwu Nnadi, Usman Muhammed, and striker Salim Fago Lawal are all in line for their first-ever senior caps, marking one of Nigeria’s most dramatic squad overhauls in recent AFCON history.

While the squad retains star power through former African Footballer of the Year winners Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen, it is the presence of the five newcomers that defines Chelle’s selection — a clear signal of renewal after the disappointment of missing the 2026 World Cup.

• Alebiosu, the 22-year-old Blackburn Rovers fullback, has impressed with his pace and defensive awareness.
• Akinsanmiro (Pisa) and Nnadi (Zulte Waregem) offer fresh midfield creativity and energy.
• Usman Muhammed has risen rapidly with the Israeli side Ironi Tiberias.
• Salim Fago Lawal, the Istra 1961 striker, is rewarded after a strong club season and is viewed as one of the most exciting young centre-forward prospects in Nigerian football.

These inclusions can be described as “hungry, dynamic players ready to fight for the shirt.”

Experience Still Anchors the Squad

However, experience is not a discarded element as the core Super Eagles squad is still anchored on the usual suspects.

Veteran striker Paul Onuachu returns after an 18-month absence, lifted by his outstanding 11-goal haul for Trabzonspor that has made him the current top scorer in Turkey.

Lookman, Osimhen, Alex Iwobi, Wilfred Ndidi, Frank Onyeka and Calvin Bassey also provide a spine of experience around which the debutants can grow.

Fitness Gamble on Nwabali

However, Nigeria faces uncertainty in goal. First-choice goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali is still battling both ankle and hand injuries and has not played since the World Cup playoff defeat. His club coach in South Africa expressed doubts at the weekend about his fitness for the tournament, but Chelle has included him alongside Amas Obasogie and Francis Uzoho.

Nigeria will be without Benjamin Fredericks and Ola Aina both nursing injuries. William Troost-Ekong, retired from international football after the World Cup playoff loss and Wolves striker Tolu Arokodare will be Super Eagles’ notable absentees.

Super Eagles are already at an advantage in Group C as they will play all their group matches in Fes.

Group C Fixtures

The Super Eagles begin their AFCON campaign:

• Dec 23: vs Tanzania (Fez)
• Dec 27: vs Tunisia (Fez)
• Dec 30: vs Uganda (Fez)

FULL SQUAD

Goalkeepers:
Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United), Amas Obasogie (Singida Black Stars), Francis Uzoho (Omonia Nicosia)

Defenders:
Ryan Alebiosu (Blackburn Rovers), Chidozie Awaziem (Nantes), Semi Ajayi (Hull City), Calvin Bassey (Fulham), Igoh Ogbu (Slavia Prague), Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiakos), Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham City), Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto)

Midfielders:
Ebenezer Akinsanmiro (Pisa), Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (Lazio), Alex Iwobi (Fulham), Usman Muhammed (Ironi Tiberias), Wilfred Ndidi (Beşiktaş), Tochukwu Nnadi (Zulte Waregem), Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge), Frank Onyeka (Brentford)

Forwards:
Akor Adams (Sevilla), Samuel Chukwueze (Fulham), Cyriel Dessers (Panathinaikos), Chidera Ejuke (Sevilla), Salim Fago Lawal (Istra 1961), Ademola Lookman (Atalanta), Paul Onuachu (Trabzonspor), Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray), Moses Simon (Paris FC)

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With just days to go before the curtain rises on the Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025, two of the continent’s most respected chroniclers of the competition pause to reflect on the journey. 

For over three decades, South Africa’s Mark Gleeson and Tunisia’s Mondher Chaouachi have stood on touchlines, squeezed into mixed zones, filed through midnight deadlines, and watched African football evolve from a continental contest into a global spectacle.

Their combined experiences stretch from dusty training grounds in the 1990s to today’s polished media tribunes, from handwritten notes to digital feeds seen instantly across the world. 

In many ways, their lives mirror the AFCON story itself: challenging beginnings, steady growth, global attraction, and an undying heartbeat that keeps calling them back every two years.

A Tournament Like No Other

To Gleeson, widely regarded as the authority on African football journalism, AFCON is more than a sporting event — it is a professional homecoming. “AFCON feels like a professional convention to me,” he says. “Computer programmers gather in Las Vegas, doctors meet in specialist congresses, and for us African football journalists, the AFCON is where we all reunite.

For Chaouachi, whose AFCON story began at Tunisia 1994, the tournament carries a deeper emotional weight. “AFCON means a great deal to me. It is the biggest and most important event staged in Africa — truly the celebration of African football with passion, enthusiasm, colour, and a spirit that exists nowhere else,” he reflects. 

Between them, they have witnessed eras of dramatic change: from analogue to digital, from restricted access to professionalised media operations, from localised storytelling to international coverage. 

Yet both men insist that despite the transformation, AFCON has maintained its soul — the unmistakable mix of emotion, unpredictability, and cultural richness unique to African football.

When Africa Stood Up Together

Ask Gleeson about his earliest memory and he travels back to Senegal 1992 — his first AFCON. It was not a match but a moment that would define his career.

Before the tournament began, the CAF Congress in Dakar welcomed a delegation from the newly formed South African Football Association. South Africa, still awaiting FIFA membership after decades of apartheid-induced isolation, received a standing ovation from the rest of Africa.

“I will never forget it,” Gleeson says quietly. “The reception they received was unbelievable. Delegates rose to their feet. Given our history of isolation, it was deeply moving.” 

Two years later, Chaouachi experienced something similar on home soil. Tunisia 1994 marked not just his debut as an AFCON journalist but a milestone for Tunisian football. 

“The entire country was buzzing with excitement,” he recalls. “Covering it was a dream, a major career target.” 

These moments — political, cultural, and sporting — remind both men why AFCON is more than a football tournament. It is a reflection of Africa’s story.

The Game That Grew

The AFCON that both men first covered looks nothing like the version that will unfold in Morocco this year. Resources were limited, communication unreliable, coverage inconsistent.

Gleeson laughs remembering Burkina Faso 1998. “It felt like a difficult camping trip at times,” he says. “Logistical hardships were common then. Filing stories through bad phone lines, waiting days for accreditation… today things are far easier — though perhaps some of the adventure has been lost.” 

Chaouachi also recalls the early struggles vividly. Travelling across venues, dealing with uneven facilities, and working without structured media support was part of the AFCON experience. 

But he credits CAF for its transformation in the last decade: “Media coverage and professionalism have improved tremendously. CAF now provides world-class facilities and top-level services. The improvements made during the last two AFCON editions are especially tangible.” 

One of his standout professional memories came not from a match, but from witnessing the AFCON 2023 final in Côte d’Ivoire being managed for 632 accredited journalists, a number unimaginable in the 1990s. 

AFCON has grown — in visibility, in infrastructure, and in global reach. But so too has the environment around it, particularly the media.

The Changing Media Landscape

Digitalisation has transformed the job of a football journalist. Where once newspapers and radio dominated AFCON coverage, today’s storytellers include vloggers, influencers, and independent creators with audiences that rival major outlets.

Gleeson enjoys the diversity but warns of a flip side: “At the last AFCON, I was disappointed to see people in the mixed zone — posing as journalists — verbally abusing Ghana’s players. That is not journalism.

Chaouachi shares the concern but believes the solution lies in professionalism and strong media operations. He points to the success of CAF’s crisis communication team during AFCON 2021 in Cameroon. “It was tough, but the management was outstanding,” he says, crediting CAF’s modern communications structure for stabilising the situation. 

Despite the challenges, both men believe the modern AFCON is in safe hands. Morocco 2025, they predict, will set new standards.

“Morocco offers world-class facilities and brand-new stadiums of exceptional quality,” Chaouachi says. “Media professionals will work in very comfortable and favourable conditions.” 

Gleeson agrees. “If WAFCON in Morocco was a test run, then they passed with flying colours.” 

Players Then and Now

Both journalists have covered the careers of Africa’s greatest icons. Abedi Pelé. Okocha. Amokachi. Hadji. Madjer. Adebayor. El-Hadary. Aboutrika. Mané. Yaya Touré. Msakni.

Gleeson has interacted with all of them and insists that despite greater exposure and commercial demands, humility has remained a defining trait. “Their behaviour with the media has generally been exemplary across generations,” he says. 

Chaouachi echoes the sentiment: “African stars have largely maintained their humility and availability. Almost all showed excellent behaviour and professionalism. There has not been a major change in their profiles — they continue to rise to the occasion.” 

For both men, three names consistently sit near the top of AFCON history: Samuel Eto’o, Ahmed Hassan, and Mohamed Aboutrika — footballers whose influence transcended generations.

Advice to the Next Generation

For young journalists heading to Morocco, the two legends offer clear, practical guidance. Gleeson: “Be there. Too much coverage today is second-hand, lifted from TV or social media. Go to training sessions, hotels, press conferences — anything you have access to. Effort pays off.” 

Chaouachi: “The keys to success are commitment, dedication and professionalism. Stay organised, prepare mentally, and pay attention to details. Motivation and concentration should guide you.” 

Both warn that AFCON is exhausting — double-header matchdays, long distances, tight deadlines — but they insist it is worth it. “AFCON is not the place for rest,” Gleeson says bluntly. “Work hard. Rest when it is over.” 

What Keeps the Fire Burning?

For Chaouachi, the answer is simple: “My passion, dedication and pride in belonging to this amazing continent.” 

For Gleeson, it is the people: “To meet old friends — That’s what keeps the fire burning.” 

As AFCON Morocco 2025 approaches, the reflections of these two journalism titans remind us that the tournament’s story is not written only by the players on the pitch, but also by the voices that chronicle it, preserve it, and carry it to the world

-Cafonline

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