The Super Eagles of Nigeria have been drawn against the Mambas of Mozambique in the round of sixteen of the AFCON 2025 tournament, Soccernet.ng reports.
The three-time AFCON winners secured three wins from their three group games, but their former captain, Sunday Oliseh, has warned against complacency heading into the knockout rounds.
Eric Chelle’s team have been tipped as the tournament favourites to lift the trophy in Morocco, alongside the hosts, Senegal, Egypt, and Ivory Coast.
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Super Eagles: Sunday Oliseh warns Nigeria ahead of Mozambique clash
The AFCON 1994 winner has been on commentary duties for the current edition of the tournament in Morocco and was pleased that the Super Eagles soared against Uganda in the final group stage game.
“We’re starting the round of sixteen. What changes here now is that if you lose, you go home,” the 51-year-old said on the Sunday Oliseh Global Insight Football show.
“It is no longer important how beautiful you play; what matters is the result, and that is why the Super Eagles have to make sure their priority is not conceding.
“The last game the Super Eagles played, after the noise against Tunisia, and how well they didn’t play against Tanzania, against Uganda, was the best game I’ve seen them play in a long time.
“The organisation was there, the change of play, the compactness, the way they were able to stop the opposition from trying to hurt us is something you don’t see in the team.
Oliseh also took time out to laud Eric Chelle’s tactical tweak against Uganda after narrow victories against Tunisia and Tanzania.
“Kudos to the manager. I know a lot of people have been killing this man when it was going bad, but when it’s going good, give him kudos.
“It’s clear that the team have better organisation and Nigeria is going to need to play in a totally different way.
“Different from the first two games, but similar to the third game. Stay compact, keep the opposition from playing and then hitting them,” the former Juventus midfielder concluded.
Nigeria’s clash against Mozambique will be played at the Complexe de Fes, with kick-off slated for 8:00 PM WAT on Monday.