Yaya Touré hails Super Eagles as AFCON 2025’s most impressive team
Former Manchester City midfielder and African football legend Yaya Touré has described Nigeria’s Super Eagles as the most impressive team at the recently concluded Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025.
Nigeria enjoyed a brilliant campaign at the tournament, scoring 14 goals and conceding just four. The Super Eagles were particularly strong in the knockout stages, where they did not let in a single goal. Despite being the most attacking team, Nigeria’s title hopes ended in the semi-finals with a narrow defeat to hosts Morocco.
Reflecting on the tournament, Touré praised Algeria for their performances before they were eliminated by Nigeria in the quarter-finals. “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,” he told Bleacher Report Football.
He also commended Morocco’s tactical approach under coach Walid Regragui, describing the team as “very pragmatic, very direct and playing counter-attack.”
However, Touré reserved his highest praise for Nigeria. The former Barcelona star highlighted the Super Eagles’ attacking style and overall performance, placing them above other strong contenders. “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.
“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 get kicked out by Morocco in the semifinals.”
Touré also mentioned other teams that stood out, including Congo and Ivory Coast. “Well, Congo was also good. They were kicked out by Algeria. Ivory Coast was a young team, at time a bit naive but it’s part of the footballing experience,” he said.
Nigeria ended the tournament on a high, claiming the bronze medal after defeating Egypt 4–2 on penalties following a draw in regulation time in the third-place playoff.
The Super Eagles’ campaign has been widely praised for combining attacking flair with defensive solidity, earning them recognition from one of Africa’s most decorated players.
