Former African Footballer of the Year Yaya Touré has singled out Nigeria’s Super Eagles as the most impressive team at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, praising their attacking style, goal output, and overall performance despite their semi-final exit.
Nigeria enjoyed an outstanding run at the tournament, scoring 14 goals and conceding just four across the entire competition.
The Super Eagles were particularly dominant in the knockout rounds, conceding no goals until the semi-finals.
Although their journey ended with a narrow loss to the Moroccan national football team, Nigeria finished the tournament as the most attacking side, drawing widespread praise for their free-flowing football.
Speaking to Bleacher Report Football, Touré said he closely followed the competition and was impressed by several teams, including Algeria, whom Nigeria eliminated in the quarter-finals.
“I’ve been watching the AFCON, and I’ve actually been there too. I have been impressed with Algeria, but they were eliminated by Nigeria,” he said.
Touré also commended Morocco’s tactical discipline under their coach Walid Regragui, describing their style as efficient and effective.
“I’ve been really impressed with the team that Walid Regragui is coaching. The manager of Morocco is very practical, very straightforward, and focuses on counter-attacks,” he added.
However, Touré reserved his highest praise for Nigeria, highlighting their attacking intent and squad quality.
“I was really impressed with Nigeria. Nigeria plays good football. When you look at the stats, they’ve been scoring more goals than usual,” the former Barcelona and Manchester City midfielder said.
“It feels like a full attack, playing really good football. The thing that impressed me the most was Nigeria — the way they played football and the goals they scored. The players won because they had the two top African players on their team.”
Despite their semi-final disappointment, the Super Eagles ended the tournament on a high, claiming the bronze medal after defeating Egypt 4–2 on penalties following a draw in the third-place playoff.
Touré’s comments have reinforced the widespread view that Nigeria’s performances stood out at AFCON, even without lifting the trophy.
