Ivorian football legend Yaya Touré has praised Nigeria’s Super Eagles as the most impressive team at the recently concluded African Cup of Nations.
The 35th AFCON ended Sunday, with Senegal claiming the title after a 1-0 victory over hosts Morocco.
Nigeria, however, fell short of the final, losing 4-2 on penalties to Morocco in the semifinals, but secured third place by defeating Egypt 4-2 on penalties.
Speaking to Bleacher Report Football on Monday, Touré—who won the African Footballer of the Year award four times consecutively—bypassed champions Senegal and runners-up Morocco in his evaluation, highlighting Nigeria as the standout team of AFCON 2025.
“I’ve seen the AFCON; I’ve been there. I’ve been impressed with Algeria, though they were eliminated by Nigeria. I’m impressed by Morocco under Regragui—very pragmatic, very direct, and good at counterattacks,” he said.
“But I was most impressed with Nigeria. They play great football, scoring more goals than usual, with full-strike, attacking play. The football they displayed, the goals they scored, and the players they have—Nigeria was, in my opinion, the most impressive team. They even have two of the best African players, and they were playing wonderfully before Morocco knocked them out in the semifinals.”
