Super Eagles defender Semi Ajayi in an exclusive interview with Footy-Africa expressed confidence in the country’s chances at the 2025 African Cup of Nations tournament in Morocco.
The Hull City defender who is expected to play a key role in defence in the absence of the retired William Troost-Ekong, says the team are ready to improve on their second-placed finish at the previous edition in the Ivory Coast.
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“The plan, the emphasis is to go one step further than last time. The last time we had an amazing campaign, but unfortunately we fell short in the final and this time our aim is to go one step further, so that’s what we’re putting all our efforts and energy towards”, the defender exclusively told Footy-Africa.
Nigeria begin their campaign in Morocco in group C on Tuesday, when they face Tanzania in a must-win encounter as they hope to underline their status as one of the favorites heading into the tournament.
However, Ajayi understands what it means to play for the national team and believes the players are ready to live up to the hype.
“There’s always pressure when you play for Nigeria, but that’s normal. It’s a big nation with great expectations and we have great expectations for ourselves as well, so we put pressure on ourselves to live up to those expectations”, he added.
The Super Eagles return to Morocco, where they recently played in the CAF playoffs for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The three-time African champions defeated Gabon 4-1 in the semifinals, but suffered penalty shootout heartbreak to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the final, which ended their chances of playing in next year’s showpiece event.
“A lot of the squad has a lot of experience playing in Morocco, so I’m sure that it will be in our favour, which will be crucial later in the tournament”, the 32-year-old added, when asked about the team’s experience of playing in Morocco.
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Nigeria will face Tunisia in their second group game on the 27th, before finalizing their group stage fixtures on the 30th against Uganda, hoping to book their spot in the knockout rounds.
