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Victor Osimhen has declared that the Super Eagles are fully prepared for a tough battle against Tanzania when both sides clash in their opening match of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Eric Chelle’s men will begin their AFCON campaign against the Taifa Stars on Tuesday in Fès, with kick-off scheduled for 6:30pm Nigerian time.
Nigeria, runners-up at the last edition in Côte d’Ivoire, go into the encounter as overwhelming favourites, while Tanzania are making their fourth AFCON appearance and are yet to progress beyond the group stage.
Despite the disparity in pedigree, Osimhen has warned against complacency, stressing the need for total focus and commitment from the Super Eagles.
“It’s all about going to war,” the Galatasaray striker said. “Tuesday is the first one, and we will give everything. We are not underrating anyone in our group, but I think we’re up there with so many favourites in this tournament.”
Speaking to Nigerian journalist Kelechi Anyikude, Osimhen expressed confidence in the squad’s quality and determination to go one step further than their runners-up finish at the last AFCON.
“So we’re going to give our all to make sure that we actualise the dream of trying to win the AFCON. It’s not gonna be easy, we still got a long way to go, so I am positive about this squad,” he added.
The Napoli forward will also be keen to improve on his output from the previous AFCON, where he scored once and registered one assist in seven appearances.
Tuesday’s encounter is expected to set the tone for Nigeria’s title challenge as they aim to lift the continental trophy for the first time since 2013.