The Super Eagles will again boast of enough fire power at the 2025 AFCON with the presence of Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Paul Onuachu as well as the upcoming Jerome Akor, but has coach Eric Chelle reworked the engine-room in midfield that will provide the service to these sharp shooters?
In recent times, Eric Chelle has worked with a midfield of Wilfred Ndidi and Alex Iwobi with Frank Onyeka introduced later in the course of a game.
In the absence of the injure Ndidi, Onyeka caught they eye at the 2023 AFCON last year with his tireless, non-stop running.
He will play an important role again at this tournament on the back of his recent goals for the team.
Club Brugge highly-rated defensive midfielder Raphael Onyedika has not enjoyed the confidence of the former Mali coach and so has hardly played for the national team under him.
At 24, he is regarded as the future of the Super Eagles, while both fresh call-ups Tochukwu Nnadi and Ebenezer Akinsanmiro will be worthy understudies.
The Super Eagles will hope for more creativity with the return of Lazio ace Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Israel-based Usman Mohammed.
Dele-Bashiru got off to an exciting start with the team, but in recent months injuries have slowed down his progress at this level.
Usman Mohammed featured at the 2016 Rio Olympics, but he struggled to make his mark in Portugal before his re-emergence in Israel.
Can he now at 31 and in the evening of his career live up to the huge potentials he showed by being the creative spark for Osimhen and Lookman to paint Morocco with goals?
Super Eagles Midfielders for 2025 AFCON: Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England); Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Wilfred Ndidi (Besiktas FC, Turkey); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Tochukwu Nnadi (Zulte Waregem, Belgium); Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (SS Lazio, Italy); Ebenezer Akinsanmiro (Pisa SC, Italy); Usman Muhammed (Ironi Tiberias, Israel)
