AFCON: Bring It Home, Mikel Charges Eagles

Former Super Eagles captain, John Obi Mikel, has urged Nigeria’s national team to win the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

Mikel made the call after Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle, announced his final 28-man squad for the tournament on Thursday.

The three-time African champions will be aiming to secure a fourth continental title next month following a challenging period that saw them fail to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Coach Chelle had earlier released a 55-man provisional squad two weeks ago before trimming it down to the final list in line with the deadline for submissions.

The squad includes several new players hoping to earn their first international caps, while notable names such as Christantus Uche, Maduka Okoye and Tolu Arokodare were left out.

Reacting to the announcement, Mikel, who played a key role in Nigeria’s AFCON victory in 2013, took to Instagram to encourage the team, writing, “Bring it home lads.”

Despite recent struggles against less-fancied opponents, Nigeria remains one of the favourites for the tournament. The Super Eagles are known for rising to the occasion when expectations are low, as seen in the last edition where they reached the final, and they could once again challenge for the continental crown.