In the knockout stages, the Super Eagles were defensively flawless, not conceding a single goal until their semi-final exit
Nigeria's Super Eagles may have fallen short of lifting the trophy, but in the eyes of one of African football's greatest ever midfielders, they were the defining force of the tournament.
Former Manchester City and FC Barcelona star Yaya Touré has described Nigeria as the most impressive team at the just-concluded Africa Cup of Nations 2025, praising their attacking output, style of play, and overall dominance despite not reaching the final.
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It was a campaign defined by ambition and volume. Nigeria scored 14 goals, more than any other side, and conceded just four across the tournament. In the knockout stages, the Super Eagles were defensively flawless, conceding no goals until their semi-final exit.
Yet football's fine margins intervened. Despite being the competition's most offensive side, Nigeria's title push ended in the semi-finals with a narrow defeat to hosts Morocco via penalties.
Yaya Touré names the teams that impressed him the most during AFCON 👌(w/ @Andrew_Aren) pic.twitter.com/HNQTRwpywX-- B/R Football (@brfootball) January 19, 2026
Touré's eye from the inside
Touré's verdict carried particular weight. The Ivorian legend is not a distant observer; he has lived AFCON, played it, won it, and understands its demands better than most.
"I've been seeing the Afcon, I've been there as well. I've been impressed with Algeria; unfortunately, they get kicked out by Nigeria," Touré told Bleacher Report football.
Nigeria's quarter-final victory over Algeria was one of the tournament's defining moments, an elimination of a heavyweight that underlined the Super Eagles' authority and tactical maturity.
Respect for rivals, but Nigeria above all
Touré also acknowledged the strengths of the hosts, highlighting Morocco's calculated approach under Walid Regragui.
"I've been impressed about the team with Walid Regragui. The manager of Morocco, very pragmatic, very direct and playing counter-attack," he said.
That pragmatism ultimately proved decisive in the semi-final, where Morocco edged Nigeria despite being outscored and, in many metrics, outplayed across the tournament.
Still, Touré was unequivocal about who stood out most.
"I was impressed with Nigeria, Nigeria play good football. When you see the stats, they've been scoring more than usual goals. It feels like full attack, playing very good football," he said.
Then came the definitive verdict:
"The most impressive for me, in my opinion, was Nigeria - the football they were playing, the goals they were scoring. The players winning because the two best African players on their team."
"They played such wonderful games and got kicked out by Morocco in the semifinals."
A team built on attack and identity
Nigeria's AFCON campaign was not just productive, it was expressive. The Super Eagles married structure with freedom, pressing with intent and attacking in numbers. They were fearless, expansive, and consistent, a rarity in tournament football where caution often rules.
Touré's reference to "the two best African players on their team" underlined Nigeria's star power, but his praise went beyond individuals. It was about identity: Nigeria knew who they were and played to it.
Others who caught the eye
Beyond Nigeria, Touré also highlighted other teams that made impressions at the tournament.
"Well, Congo was also good. Algeria kicked them out. Ivory Coast was a young team, at the time a bit naive, but it's part of the footballing experience," he said.
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For the Ivory Coast, the tournament represented a learning curve; a youthful squad gaining exposure at the highest continental level, with mistakes forming part of long-term growth.
Bronze, but not forgotten
Nigeria eventually claimed the bronze medal, defeating Egypt 4-2 on penalties after a draw at the end of regulation time in the third-place playoff.
It was a fitting end to a campaign that may not have delivered silverware, but earned something equally valuable: respect.
In the ruthless arithmetic of tournaments, Nigeria exited in the semi-finals. In the deeper ledger of performance, identity, and ambition, the Super Eagles left AFCON 2025 as the team everyone measured themselves against; and, according to Yaya Touré, the standard-bearers of African football's present and future.
