Omotayo Fashola
Ex-Super Eagles head coach Sunday Oliseh has raised alarms over Nigeria’s jubilant reaction to securing third place at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, warning it could encourage a lack of ambition.
Oliseh’s remarks followed widespread criticism from international analysts who questioned why Nigeria celebrated its bronze medal match victory against Egypt in Morocco with such fervor.
The Nigerian squad clinched their ninth third-place finish in AFCON history after defeating Egypt in a dramatic 4-2 penalty shootout.
“A widely shared clip ahead of the AFCON final showed our national team members celebrating wildly after their third-place triumph,” Oliseh observed during his appearance on the Global Football Insight Podcast.
“From my vantage point in the press box, I witnessed smirks and disbelief from continental and international commentators.
“I remember when coming second at AFCON brought tears to our players’ eyes. We used to consider anything less than gold a disappointment. This new mentality of celebrating bronze fosters a second-rate mindset.”
