12/12/2025
Don't depend only on Osimhen Babangida warns Chelle ahead of AFCON.....
Super Eagles legend **Tijani Babangida** has issued a strong warning to head coach **Eric Chelle** ahead of the **2025 Africa Cup of Nations** in Morocco β½. Babangida cautioned Chelle against relying too heavily on **Victor Osimhen**, insisting that Nigeriaβs failure to qualify for the **2026 FIFA World Cup** was largely due to the strikerβs absence.
Nigeria, runners-up at the 2024 AFCON, head into the tournament as favourites π. Chelle, who previously led Mali to the 2023 AFCON quarter-finals, is expected to release his final 28-man squad on **Thursday, December 11, 2025**, in line with CAFβs deadline.
Drawn in **Group C**, the Super Eagles will face **Tanzania** on December 23, **Tunisia** on December 27, and **Uganda** on December 30 π¦
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Babangida, a member of Nigeriaβs victorious **1994 AFCON** squad, urged Chelle to build a team with proper depth rather than one centred around Osimhen. He stressed that the team collapsed once Osimhen was substituted early in the second half against DR Congoβan error he believes cannot be repeated at AFCON π₯.
He explained that during his playing days, the Super Eagles thrived because they were **never built around a single player**. While acknowledging that Nigeria are stronger with a fully fit Osimhen, Babangida insisted that the team must develop the mentality to win even when the star striker is unavailable πͺ.
He warned that Nigeria looked disorganized in most of the World Cup qualifiers Osimhen missed, noting that such a situation must not occur in Morocco π―.
The Super Eagles open camp on **December 15**, followed by a warm-up match against **Egypt** in Cairo on December 16 ποΈ.
Meanwhile, French coach **Claude Le Roy** has criticised the Super Eagles' attack, describing it as overrated despite the presence of Osimhen and Ademola Lookman.