AFCON 2025: Nigeria & South Africa Fall Short

We are at the business end of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with pre-tournament favourites Senegal and Morocco set to battle for the continental holy grail.

By contrast, South Africa are amongst the nations who have nothing to celebrate. Bafana Bafana were a popular pick with punters on the sportsbooks featured on comparison website bettingtop10.co.za after reaching the knockout stage.

However, they crashed out of the tournament in the round of 16. South Africa last won AFCON in 1996 and their long wait to end their title drought is not over yet. Betting on them to win the next edition of the tournament would be a brave move.

Bettors who backed Nigeria to lift the trophy appeared to be on to a good thing as they powered into the semi-finals, but manager Eric Chelle’s rigidity against Morocco cost them a place in the final.

Nigeria: Lack of Flexibility Proves Costly

Both nations were deadlocked after 120 minutes of end-to-end action.

However, Morocco came out on top in the penalty shoot-out, with Yassine Bounou keeping out Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi to secure a 4-2 victory.

Chelle undoubtedly deserves credit for giving Nigeria a clear identity again. The Super Eagles looked organised, disciplined and ambitious under his leadership.

But his in-game management has been called into question before, and his tactical rigidity could not have picked a worse time to rear its ugly head. From the first whistle in the semi-final, it was clear that Morocco boss Walid Regragui was winning the tactical battle between both managers.

Having identified Alex Iwobi as the heartbeat of Nigeria’s midfield, Regragui made sure he was tightly marked whenever he received the ball. Iwobi had been bossing the tournament in the build-up to the semi-final, averaging around 15 line-breaking passes per 90 minutes.

But he only managed three against Morocco, proving that Regragui’s plan was spot on. Without Iwobi in his groove, Nigeria lacked rhythm and were often under the cosh.

It was clear that something had to change if the Super Eagles were to stand a chance. But Chelle made no changes at half-time. He made his first substitution in the 83rd minute.

For the first time in the tournament, Nigeria finished 90 minutes with a grand total of two shots. To make matters worse, the Super Eagles didn’t even manage a shot in extra time.

This wasn’t a one-off. Chelle’s tactical ineptitude also ended Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying for the World Cup after losing to DR Congo in the continental play-off.

South Africa: Broos Urges Bafana Bafana to Follow Nigeria’s Footsteps

South Africa’s hopes of landing a second AFCON title ended after losing 2-1 against Cameroon in the last 16, and manager Hugo Broos has called on the nation to reassess its football structure.

Broos believes that Bafana Bafana must take a page from Nigeria’s playbook if they wish to compete regularly with the best teams on the continent.

He admitted that South Africa entered the tournament at a disadvantage when compared to several rivals. While many African nations arrived with players who regularly ply their trade in Europe, Bafana Bafana relied heavily on locally based talent.

According to Broos, that difference matters more than many people realise. Broos explained that countries like Nigeria benefit significantly from having most of their players based in Europe, as it exposes them to higher levels of intensity every week.

He stressed that this kind of environment helps players grow physically, mentally and tactically, making them better prepared for major tournaments.

Broos believes South Africa must create clearer pathways for local players to move abroad if the country wants to consistently challenge the continent’s elite teams.

Morocco: Semi-Finals Win Shows They Have What It Takes to End AFCON Drought

Morocco are set to compete in their first AFCON final in over two decades and are also one win away from ending a 50-year title drought.

They were the first team to stop Nigeria from scoring in the tournament, and the first to limit the Super Eagles to just two shots across 120 minutes.

Morocco went into the game with the best defensive record in the tournament, having conceded just once across five games.

Nigeria had scored 14 goals in five games, making them the best attacking team. However, Regragui managed to stifle Nigeria’s attacking threat by nullifying Iwobi’s ability to dictate play from the middle of the park.

Morocco also had Nigeria pinned in their half and backpedalling for most of the game, but couldn’t convert any of their chances.

Senegal will be a different proposition in the final. But Morocco’s performance against Nigeria suggests they have what it takes to clinch the title on home soil.