AFCON 2025: Onuachu, Awaziem  rates Super Eagles high against Egypt

• Super Eagles land in Morocco today

Trabzonspor of Turkey striker Paul Onuachu  and FC Nantes defender, Chidozie Awaziem,  believe  the Super Eagles  acquainted  themselves well despite losing 2-1  to the Pharaohs of Egypt in Tuesday’s  international friendly  match at the Cairo  international Stadium  ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations  in Morocco.

Onuachu  who incidentally  made a scoring debut  against  the Pharaohs  in a pre-AFCON friendly in 2019, said the Super  Eagles’  spirited performance  and tactical progression  was  more important than the score line, adding  it was opportunity for the  coach Eric Sekou Chelle-led side to get  set for the continental showpiece.

“I felt good playing against them, especially knowing I had scored against Egypt in the past,” Onuachu told the NFFTv. “I played with a lot of confidence and focused on my game. Unfortunately, the goal didn’t come this time, but I think both the team and I had a good game.”

Similarly, defender Chidozie Awaziem who captained  and scored the Super Eagles’ solitary goal  in Tuesday’s encounter , equally spoke in the same vein.

“It was a good test though the result wasn’t good, it wasn’t what we wanted,” said Awaziem, who scored the Super Eagles equaliser in a 2-1 loss to Egypt in Cairo. “We dominated the game, we had them sit back and we had so many chances to score.

 “This game was to test our readiness for the AFCON and for the coach to try new players and other tactics so that we prepare good.

 “We will take the positives out of this game and move on to the AFCON.”

Meanwhile, the Super Eagles are scheduled to fly to their AFCON 2025  base in Fès today in a chartered  flight. Nigeria is drawn in Group C, where they will face Tanzania on December 23^rd  with other matches against  Tunisia and Uganda on December 28  and 30 respectively.