2025 AFCON: Asamoah Gyan Names Nigeria Among Top Contenders for Title

2025 AFCON: Asamoah Gyan Names Nigeria Among Top Contenders for Title

By BSN Sports 

Legendary Ghanaian striker Asamoah Gyan has identified Nigeria as one of the leading favourites to win the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), despite the Super Eagles’ recent setback in World Cup qualifying, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

Speaking to ESPN on the sidelines of the 2025 CAF Awards, the former Black Stars captain who featured in two AFCON finals expressed confidence in Nigeria’s potential to challenge for the continental crown in Morocco next year.

Nigeria narrowly missed out on reaching the final phase of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers after losing on penalties to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the CAF play-offs. The defeat ended their hopes of advancing to the intercontinental play-off scheduled to take place in Mexico.

Ghana, meanwhile, failed to qualify for the 2025 AFCON, but Gyan pointed to the Black Stars’ World Cup qualification as a partial consolation. In assessing the continent’s strongest teams, he named host nation Morocco and defending champions Côte d’Ivoire alongside Nigeria as the favourites for the title.

“We’ve got a lot of giants going there,” Gyan said. “Ghana is out, which is very disappointing, but we qualified for the World Cup so it’s okay. Nigeria did well they were close two years ago. Ivory Coast did well, and Morocco is also a strong contender. They are all performing at a high level.”

Nigeria finished as runners-up at the 2023 AFCON, losing 2–1 to Côte d’Ivoire in the final, and will be aiming to go one step further in 2025.