Former Nigeria coach John Obuh in an exclusive interview with Footy-Africa has backed the Super Eagles to secure qualification for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, while cautioning the team against underestimating their opponents.
Nigeria have been drawn in Group L of the qualifying campaign alongside Madagascar, Guinea-Bissau, and co-hosts Tanzania, with only qualification for the tournament at stake. The draw was conducted on Tuesday at the headquarters of the Egyptian Football Association in Cairo.
Speaking exclusively to Footy-Africa, Obuh expressed confidence in the current squad’s ability to build on their recent performances and potentially challenge for the continental title in 2027.
“I will start from their last competition, which was the Nations Cup. We did very well,” Obuh said. “They brought back hope to us with the way they played, even though we lost out. It was a very good campaign, a very good performance, and there were a lot of positive discoveries.”
Road to #Pamoja2027 🗓️ pic.twitter.com/rXpnM0fRkE
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The former Flying Eagles coach, however, warned that Nigeria must approach every qualifying match with seriousness.
“Taking that into this current campaign, I want to believe that as long as they do not underrate those countries—because Madagascar and the rest are no longer small football nations—they will succeed,” he added.
“Every country has experienced some level of development as far as football is concerned. Therefore, any country we play, we must face them as if we are playing Brazil, Argentina, Italy, Ghana, or South Africa.”
Obuh also expressed confidence that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) understands the importance of the qualifying campaign:
“Although I have not seen the list of invited players, I know the NFF recognises the importance of this qualifier, and I am sure they will not joke with it.”
Nigeria last won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013, and despite boasting one of the continent’s strongest squads in recent years, the Super Eagles have been unable to secure a fourth continental title.
Asked whether the current generation of players could finally end that wait in 2027, Obuh urged patience and insisted qualification should remain the immediate focus.
“I wouldn’t think that their age means they are going to retire at a specific time,” he said. “There are many of their colleagues playing beyond that age, even in European countries, who are still part of their respective World Cup squads. The most important thing right now is for them to first focus on securing qualification. Let them concentrate on qualifying us before we start talking about representation at the next World Cup.”
With some senior players gradually approaching the latter stages of their careers, a new generation is beginning to emerge. Young talents such as Zadok Yohanna, Ebenezer Akinsanmiro, Tochukwu Nnadi, Chibuike Nwaiwu, and Benjamin Fredrick are among those tipped to step into bigger roles.
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Obuh believes their inclusion will depend entirely on merit and performance.
“It is not going to be about my wish; it is about their performance, so my wish will make no difference,” he said. “It is their performance that will keep them in the team. With the way they are progressing, they are the ones we look forward to seeing replace the older players.”
“My wish is for all of them to be part of it because they are young enough to serve us for a longer time. However, they have to perform very well to keep their places, because we need replacements as quickly as possible.”
Obuh also singled out Zadok Yohanna, who currently plays in Sweden, for special praise:
“The boy in Sweden is doing very well. Sometimes people look at the quality of the league, but from what we have watched so far, he is performing strongly. I believe he can break into the national team if given the opportunity.”
The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, with the tournament scheduled to run from 19 June to 17 July 2027.
