African Football Discussion Thread Current Topic: 👉 AFCON 2025/2026

[Rruchi man]

Yeah, Osimhen might have anger issues but I still think he's the best qualified, and as a matter of fact, no body is without a weak point, no body is a saint without a sin he or she is battling, we all have our weaknesses and for Osimhen, if anger is his weakness, it's manageable because anger can be controlled, we can't use anger as a basis to not give that captain position to who really deserve it the most, except if we are to start playing politics with the position, then maybe osimhen might not be the best man for the position.

Aggression could be something he could learn to manage later on as he ages or maybe with more responsibility on him; I am sure that can happen if he is intentional about it.

Osimhen has some other qualities that make him an important figure for the Super Eagles. He has the right amount of passion and also the charisma to influence other players to put in their best in games where a push is needed. He is also very hungry for success and can give the right attitude both on and off the pitch.

I will like that he is considered.

[Fiatless]

I disagree. One can be passionate and explosive and still make a good captain. A good example is Roy Keane who was captain for both Manchester United and his country side Ireland for many years. I don’t think Osimhen is half as aggressive as Roy Keane in his day yet he was able to command the dressing room with respect and confidence.

A captain is a middleman between referees, the NFF, and others, with the players. Remember his outburst when he had issues with Finidi George. He was inconsolable when Nigeria lost the game against Zimbabwe that he even embarrassed a player who was speaking with him. If he fails to control his anger as a captain, the entire team will be in trouble. Making him the assistant captain will be perfect. This will enable him to build himself to become a leader who will be patient, tolerant and rational.

[SatoPrincess]

I disagree. One can be passionate and explosive and still make a good captain. A good example is Roy Keane who was captain for both Manchester United and his country side Ireland for many years. I don’t think Osimhen is half as aggressive as Roy Keane in his day yet he was able to command the dressing room with respect and confidence.

A captain is a middleman between referees, the NFF, and others, with the players. Remember his outburst when he had issues with Finidi George. He was inconsolable when Nigeria lost the game against Zimbabwe that he even embarrassed a player who was speaking with him. If he fails to control his anger as a captain, the entire team will be in trouble. Making him the assistant captain will be perfect. This will enable him to build himself to become a leader who will be patient, tolerant and rational.

Did you read my post? How is Roy Keane attitude on the pitch better than Victor Osimhen? I find it amusing that you think that it’s the Super Eagles that will build Osimhen into your version of a “patient, tolerant and rational player”. Some things come with age, as players grow older they become more mature and aware of their actions, it’s not something that you can force on a young player.

[Spaceman1000$]

We are about going to the AFCON again, some team like Ghana are rumoured to have already arrived, but for the Super Eagles we already reading of Eric Chelle been owed salary for 3 months. At what point will those aza men occupying the glass have called NFF get it right because at this point, this is really saddening, Ekong spoke out the last time for his team members and his career ended, who will speak out for Eric Chelle?
https://x.com/oluwashina/status/1998335212522963204?t=OnyVkZwiIzJC896_T1Dscg&s=19

[Agbe]

Snip

This is very bad and it is not good for the NFF reputation. If a player speaks they would crucified him so let the outsiders speak out. I believe the tournament will kick start  from 21 Dec 2025 – 18 Jan 2026 and anything that will make the players and the Coach should be avoided at all cost. If Nigeria play the way they ended up the World Cup Qualifiers and the playoff, they will go far in the AFCON.

[Davidvictorson]

We are about going to the AFCON again, some team like Ghana are rumoured to have already arrived, but for the Super Eagles we already reading of Eric Chelle been owed salary for 3 months. At what point will those aza men occupying the glass have called NFF get it right because at this point, this is really saddening, Ekong spoke out the last time for his team members and his career ended, who will speak out for Eric Chelle?

If this is indeed true then I will say that I am not surprised. If they can owe their indigenous coaches how much more the international coaches. I have said this before and will not stop saying it that the problem we have is a leadership problem. We have the talent but the leadership is making us a mediocre team. And this reflects in all of out sporting institutions including athletics. No wonder we lost one of our star athletes to another country and it didn't even hurt the leadership because they don't care. I am honestly just tired of these guys. I hope Chelle sues if that is an option.

[SatoPrincess]

We are about going to the AFCON again, some team like Ghana are rumoured to have already arrived, but for the Super Eagles we already reading of Eric Chelle been owed salary for 3 months. At what point will those aza men occupying the glass have called NFF get it right because at this point, this is really saddening, Ekong spoke out the last time for his team members and his career ended, who will speak out for Eric Chelle?
https://x.com/oluwashina/status/1998335212522963204?t=OnyVkZwiIzJC896_T1Dscg&s=19

Can’t say I’m surprised. The NFF and owing salaries are like two peas in a pod. Eric Chelle should have known this was going to happen. I’m sure the money has been allocated but some official is sitting on it for no good reason. It’s funny that you ask who will speak up for Eric Chelle, last I checked he’s an adult who was able to sign a contract so he should be able to take it to his employers if they breach the contract.

[Mate2237]

Eric Chelle should be used to this before coming as he has been in the coaching job for a long time. Nigeria has a Long history of owing both coaches and players. And not too surprised about this I believe that there is an understanding between Chelle and the NFF that's why he has been quiet. I believe that he understands perfectly the situation of things with the NFF.



This should not affects the super eagles preparation going into the nations cup , because Chelle is not players that can go on strike. But I don't know what is the problem of this NFF because they can't be owing this way what is happening to the money that is allocated to the NFF.

[Mr Reporter]

Snip

This is very bad and it is not good for the NFF reputation. If a player speaks they would crucified him so let the outsiders speak out. I believe the tournament will kick start  from 21 Dec 2025 – 18 Jan 2026 and anything that will make the players and the Coach should be avoided at all cost. If Nigeria play the way they ended up the World Cup Qualifiers and the playoff, they will go far in the AFCON.

Totally agreed NFF’s silence is deafening, and the backlash would be brutal if anyone dared speak out. The AFCON window is right around the corner, so the team needs to keep the drama out of the locker room. Do you think Nigeria can turn that World‑Cup‑qualifier form into a deep AFCON run, or are we just setting ourselves up for another disappointment?

[Callido]

This is very bad and it is not good for the NFF reputation. If a player speaks they would crucified him so let the outsiders speak out. I believe the tournament will kick start  from 21 Dec 2025 – 18 Jan 2026 and anything that will make the players and the Coach should be avoided at all cost. If Nigeria play the way they ended up the World Cup Qualifiers and the playoff, they will go far in the AFCON.

NFF don't care about reputation, as long as they hold that position, whatever you say outside doesn't have any effect on them. Owing coaches and players has been a behavior right from time, many players go unpaid until retirement and some even after death. The reasons are clear why most players are neglecting to play for Nigeria, what's the gain coming to play for a country that owes, poor training and medical facilities, very bad reputation also, while they see countries that have the good side of what every football player wants in their career.

[Spaceman1000$]

Snip

This is very bad and it is not good for the NFF reputation. If a player speaks they would crucified him so let the outsiders speak out. I believe the tournament will kick start  from 21 Dec 2025 – 18 Jan 2026 and anything that will make the players and the Coach should be avoided at all cost. If Nigeria play the way they ended up the World Cup Qualifiers and the playoff, they will go far in the AFCON.

Totally agreed NFF’s silence is deafening, and the backlash would be brutal if anyone dared speak out. The AFCON window is right around the corner, so the team needs to keep the drama out of the locker room. Do you think Nigeria can turn that World‑Cup‑qualifier form into a deep AFCON run, or are we just setting ourselves up for another disappointment?

It's mostly likely looking like another disappointment because the morale of the coach is dampened, the players are still in limbo as to what happened to their captain for speaking out on their behalf, Stanley Nwabali is rumoured not too fit for the competition due to an injury, the World cup qualification they didn't get is also demoralizing, The NFF on the other hand are hell bent on not releasing funds, it's a whole lot of disappointment waiting to happen.

[Futurexxx]

Can’t say I’m surprised. The NFF and owing salaries are like two peas in a pod. Eric Chelle should have known this was going to happen. I’m sure the money has been allocated but some official is sitting on it for no good reason. It’s funny that you ask who will speak up for Eric Chelle, last I checked he’s an adult who was able to sign a contract so he should be able to take it to his employers if they breach the contract.

This is just too funny, why are our NFF this pathetic on every angles?
I thought that it is only players that they normally used to owe, i don't know that they are also owing our manager all this while they are playing to qualify for the next year edition of FIFA world cup in US/Canada.
With the way I have known my country Nigeria, if he wishes to get back the money he worked for, he needs to ask for it without fear because that's his sweat 💦 he worked for.
 And even in the holy Bible, it is written that a labourer is entitled to his wages, so they should pay him up because he worked for it.

[SatoPrincess]

Can’t say I’m surprised. The NFF and owing salaries are like two peas in a pod. Eric Chelle should have known this was going to happen. I’m sure the money has been allocated but some official is sitting on it for no good reason. It’s funny that you ask who will speak up for Eric Chelle, last I checked he’s an adult who was able to sign a contract so he should be able to take it to his employers if they breach the contract.

This is just too funny, why are our NFF this pathetic on every angles?
I thought that it is only players that they normally used to owe, i don't know that they are also owing our manager all this while they are playing to qualify for the next year edition of FIFA world cup in US/Canada.
With the way I have known my country Nigeria, if he wishes to get back the money he worked for, he needs to ask for it without fear because that's his sweat 💦 he worked for.
 And even in the holy Bible, it is written that a labourer is entitled to his wages, so they should pay him up because he worked for it.

I don’t know how much is Eric Chelle’s salary, he’s probably being paid in usd and I bet someone in the NFF is probably thinking this money is too much to pay this manager, besides he didn’t do well in the World Cup qualifiers, let’s delay his salary for now and see how he will react and when he does go to the media, the NFF will attack him for not keeping their issues in-house.

[Frankolala]

I don’t know how much is Eric Chelle’s salary, he’s probably being paid in usd and I bet someone in the NFF is probably thinking this money is too much to pay this manager, besides he didn’t do well in the World Cup qualifiers, let’s delay his salary for now and see how he will react and when he does go to the media, the NFF will attack him for not keeping their issues in-house.

That's a cruel act, why will the NFF withhold his payment when he's done with his job. If not for the corruption in NFF are we supposed to have problems in the national team performance. Let's call a spade a spade, NFF is disgracing themselves and washing their dirty hands in the public. NFF has failed woefully, in carrying out their duties so let them pay those who did their jobs.

[Roseline492]

We are about going to the AFCON again, some team like Ghana are rumoured to have already arrived, but for the Super Eagles we already reading of Eric Chelle been owed salary for 3 months. At what point will those aza men occupying the glass have called NFF get it right because at this point, this is really saddening, Ekong spoke out the last time for his team members and his career ended, who will speak out for Eric Chelle?
https://x.com/oluwashina/status/1998335212522963204?t=OnyVkZwiIzJC896_T1Dscg&s=19

Eric Chelle has nobody to defend him if NFF is going by removing anybody who dares to speak up against them because in Eric Chelle case it will be too easy for his removal, they might not just say his coaching was too traditional for the players so they need to look for a coach with current and developed ways to assist the club and nobody will ask questions because we no Eric Chelle was actually that, so was it why he has not said anything about his money yet?, because after what they are owing the just retired defender is the best time for all players NFF are owing to start asking for there money.

[Slow death]

We are about going to the AFCON again, some team like Ghana are rumoured to have already arrived, but for the Super Eagles we already reading of Eric Chelle been owed salary for 3 months. At what point will those aza men occupying the glass have called NFF get it right because at this point, this is really saddening, Ekong spoke out the last time for his team members and his career ended, who will speak out for Eric Chelle?
https://x.com/oluwashina/status/1998335212522963204?t=OnyVkZwiIzJC896_T1Dscg&s=19

It's a very difficult situation, because the coach won't be very motivated to continue working long-term in this way. If he's successful, something like winning the AFCON, and another country with good financial conditions and a clean record of paying coaches' salaries on time is interested in hiring him, then he won't refuse the offer and will leave the Nigerian national team, because I believe his contract allows him to do so if his salary is many months overdue. According to this website:

https://punchng.com/chelle-to-get-unpaid-salaries-ahead-afcon/

He says he will receive three months' salary before the games begin.

[Mr Reporter]

Snip

This is very bad and it is not good for the NFF reputation. If a player speaks they would crucified him so let the outsiders speak out. I believe the tournament will kick start  from 21 Dec 2025 – 18 Jan 2026 and anything that will make the players and the Coach should be avoided at all cost. If Nigeria play the way they ended up the World Cup Qualifiers and the playoff, they will go far in the AFCON.

Totally agreed NFF’s silence is deafening, and the backlash would be brutal if anyone dared speak out. The AFCON window is right around the corner, so the team needs to keep the drama out of the locker room. Do you think Nigeria can turn that World‑Cup‑qualifier form into a deep AFCON run, or are we just setting ourselves up for another disappointment?

It's mostly likely looking like another disappointment because the morale of the coach is dampened, the players are still in limbo as to what happened to their captain for speaking out on their behalf, Stanley Nwabali is rumoured not too fit for the competition due to an injury, the World cup qualification they didn't get is also demoralizing, The NFF on the other hand are hell bent on not releasing funds, it's a whole lot of disappointment waiting to happen.

See I think everything’s stacking up a coach with his head down, the captain silenced, Nwabali’s injury doubts, the missed World Cup spot, and the NFF still sitting on the purse strings. It’s a perfect storm of disappointment, I really should put myself in thier shoe to feel what they are feeling right now is to much, that I feel this Nigeria is a cause country honestly speaking because how can this be happening when other countries are look up to us self very f**k country i must really say.

[Nightwatchmare]

I thought his retirement was both on the international and national?, so the nigeria Federation was actually owing him for this long?, does it mean that since he has now retired those six years of owing will be forfeited?, is unfortunate we are just watching but doesn't no what is happening on the inside, I believe they will pay him if he takes it serious because since he is on a few moments out of the super eagles his team mate might help him recover it because if all this on the statement is true then it could be anybody in the future perhaps if they also owe Victor Osimhem for six years or seven they also make him retire and forfeit what they could have paid him.

Wether the men at the Glass House of the NFF forced him to retire or not, the truth is that every outstanding allowance owed to Williams Troost-Ekong will surely be paid to him or he'll sue the federation. Nigeria as a country isn't corrupt but the leaders of the country are the ones that are extremely corrupt. A lot have been said about the leadership of the NFF and how they've been unaccountable for the revenue of the federation but instead of making amends to what's is said about them, they're giving the media more reasons to believe that they're corrupt.
Situations like this are one major reasons many Nigerians are not representing the national team, they just can't imagine themselves in this kind of situation when they are provided with the option of representing other countries with working Football Associations. This is too embarrassing for NFF, a player that's played out his heart for the nation is now being forced out of the team because he stood for his right.

I hope so because NFF should not be allowed to be treating players as if they're nothing, is this going to be the future of Nigeria in sports?, the problem is that what if court get compromised to favour NFF over the player that is going to sue them because we also have an unstable justice system in this country but however if if that happens the NFF might get there pay back from every players retiring from the national team also so that they would leave everything about the football for them to manipulate as they are doing, besides they have all gotten clubs they play for international.

The super eagles players should not even waste their time and money in suing the NFF in court because they will not get the justice they are looking for since the NFF has the backing of the federal government of Nigeria. Since the NFF do not want to treat the super eagles players fairly, if it were possible for me to talk to the super eagles players, i would have advised them to retire from international football so that the NFF will learn the hard way, and when there are no quality players to play for the super eagles of Nigeria, the NFF i will beg them to come back from retirement and play for the super eagles, and they can use the opportunity and make the NFF sign an agreement to pay them their wages at the right time.

[Mr Reporter]

I thought his retirement was both on the international and national?, so the nigeria Federation was actually owing him for this long?, does it mean that since he has now retired those six years of owing will be forfeited?, is unfortunate we are just watching but doesn't no what is happening on the inside, I believe they will pay him if he takes it serious because since he is on a few moments out of the super eagles his team mate might help him recover it because if all this on the statement is true then it could be anybody in the future perhaps if they also owe Victor Osimhem for six years or seven they also make him retire and forfeit what they could have paid him.

Wether the men at the Glass House of the NFF forced him to retire or not, the truth is that every outstanding allowance owed to Williams Troost-Ekong will surely be paid to him or he'll sue the federation. Nigeria as a country isn't corrupt but the leaders of the country are the ones that are extremely corrupt. A lot have been said about the leadership of the NFF and how they've been unaccountable for the revenue of the federation but instead of making amends to what's is said about them, they're giving the media more reasons to believe that they're corrupt.
Situations like this are one major reasons many Nigerians are not representing the national team, they just can't imagine themselves in this kind of situation when they are provided with the option of representing other countries with working Football Associations. This is too embarrassing for NFF, a player that's played out his heart for the nation is now being forced out of the team because he stood for his right.

I hope so because NFF should not be allowed to be treating players as if they're nothing, is this going to be the future of Nigeria in sports?, the problem is that what if court get compromised to favour NFF over the player that is going to sue them because we also have an unstable justice system in this country but however if if that happens the NFF might get there pay back from every players retiring from the national team also so that they would leave everything about the football for them to manipulate as they are doing, besides they have all gotten clubs they play for international.

The super eagles players should not even waste their time and money in suing the NFF in court because they will not get the justice they are looking for since the NFF has the backing of the federal government of Nigeria. Since the NFF do not want to treat the super eagles players fairly, if it were possible for me to talk to the super eagles players, i would have advised them to retire from international football so that the NFF will learn the hard way, and when there are no quality players to play for the super eagles of Nigeria, the NFF i will beg them to come back from retirement and play for the super eagles, and they can use the opportunity and make the NFF sign an agreement to pay them their wages at the right time.

I think now I was trying hard to get the frustration when the NFF’s backed by the govt, the court route feels like a dead‑end, and the players are left holding the short end of the stick. If the squad actually walked out, it’d be a massive wake‑up call, but it also puts the whole nation’s football future on the line. To me I feel the government are playing injustice to this and it sounding unfair to the ear, I think this should be driven to the court of law because at some point the footballer might just get tried and leave to other countries and this shame could be on us as the country.

[Fiatless]

It's a very difficult situation, because the coach won't be very motivated to continue working long-term in this way. If he's successful, something like winning the AFCON, and another country with good financial conditions and a clean record of paying coaches' salaries on time is interested in hiring him, then he won't refuse the offer and will leave the Nigerian national team, because I believe his contract allows him to do so if his salary is many months overdue. According to this website:

https://punchng.com/chelle-to-get-unpaid-salaries-ahead-afcon/

He says he will receive three months' salary before the games begin.

The drama has started again. Nigeria would always have one problem before the beginning of most competitions. They have failed in the contract they signed will the coach. How can they now hold him repsonsible if the team fails to make an impact in the African Cup of Nations.

I believe the Super Eagles have the capacity to win the competition but my expectations are no longer high. When I recall the game between Nigeria and Congo DR, its ovous that there are many better teams than the Super Eagles. Congo played us as if they were playing a division three club. The Nigerian team was begging for the match to end in penalties. My sincere prediction is that with our current class, we might not get to the semi finals.