Former Nigerian international, Obafemi Abiodun has identified belief and squad depth as the biggest lessons from the Super Eagles’ impressive AFCON 2025 campaign, declaring that no player in the team should ever be underestimated again.
Speaking after Nigeria’s continental outing, Abiodun admitted he went into the tournament with doubts about some members of the squad only for several players to completely overturn his expectations with standout performances.
Osayi-Samuel Silences the Doubts
Abiodun singled out Bright Osayi-Samuel for special praise, revealing that he was particularly concerned about the right-back position following the absence of Nottingham Forest defender, Ola Aina.
However, the Fenerbahçe man rose to the occasion and emerged as one of Nigeria’s most reliable performers during the tournament.
“I was not expecting some of our players. I know some players that are up there that I know we do well, but there are some players that I was sceptical about their performance.”
“We know how well they are going to perform. Players like Right-back, Osayi, and that are left back.”
“It just shows me that we should keep faith in these boys.”
Bruno Onyemaechi Earns Special Applause
Abiodun also highlighted the remarkable improvement of Bruno Onyemaechi, who featured prominently at left-back and exceeded expectations in both defensive solidity and composure.
According to the former international, both full-backs were among the biggest revelations of the tournament.
“I never believed Osayi and this boy that played left back. Look, they are the revelation of this tournament.”
“They did well.”
Beyond individual performances, Abiodun continued that the team’s cohesion and unity stood out more than star power, urging Nigerians to continue backing the squad rather than questioning player selections.
“Honestly, we should not underrate anybody, that is the big lesson I learned. I saw the cohesion”
He further explained that his concerns about both full-back positions disappeared as the tournament progressed.
“In the absence of Ola Aina, I thought we had a problem with the right back and then the left back as well.”
“The big lesson is the fact that we have all these boys that are good and we should trust them.”
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“We Have Every Reason to Be Happy” – Obafemi Abiodun
Abiodun concluded by calling for patience, trust, and continued support from fans, insisting that the Super Eagles have shown they possess depth and character capable of competing at the highest level.
“Honestly, we have every reason to be happy with their performance.”
The former midfielder that AFCON 2025 may have revealed not just stars, but a strong, dependable collective ready for future challenges.
