Osimhen to Captain Super Eagles vs Morocco as Nigeria Target AFCON 2025 Final Spot

Victor Osimhen will wear the captain’s armband for Nigeria’s Super Eagles when they face hosts Morocco in the AFCON 2025 semi-final, following the suspension of regular skipper Wilfred Ndidi, PulseNets learnt.

The highly anticipated last-four clash is scheduled for Wednesday night at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, with kickoff set for 8:00 p.m., as Morocco and Nigeria battle for a place in the AFCON final.

Ndidi has been sidelined for the encounter after picking up two yellow cards during Nigeria’s knockout-stage run. The Leicester City midfielder was booked in the round of 16 victory over Mozambique and again in the quarter-final triumph against Tunisia, a development PulseNets gathered from tournament officials.

Osimhen, who serves as the Super Eagles’ deputy captain, is no stranger to leadership duties. PulseNets learnt that the Napoli striker previously captained the side in their final group-stage fixture against Uganda, where Nigeria secured qualification to the knockout rounds.

Nigeria booked their semi-final ticket with a convincing 2-0 win over Algeria, a match in which Osimhen played a decisive role by scoring once and setting up another goal. That performance further underlined his importance to the Super Eagles’ AFCON 2025 campaign.

Ahead of the semi-final showdown, South Africa forward Zakhele Lepasa identified Nigeria as favourites to lift the trophy, citing their attacking firepower. Speaking to PulseNets, Lepasa said “none of the remaining teams have shown they can truly contain Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman.”

Lepasa also pointed to the pressure on Nigeria following their failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, noting that the Super Eagles are determined to reassert their dominance on the continental stage. He told PulseNets that “Nigeria came into this tournament with a point to prove, and that hunger is clear in the way they are playing.”

Describing Nigeria as the most complete side at AFCON 2025, Lepasa highlighted their attacking numbers and squad depth. According to him, “fourteen goals scored so far, with threats coming from different areas, shows why Nigeria look like the strongest team in the competition.”

Nigeria’s impressive run in Morocco has also silenced earlier criticism, with the Super Eagles emerging as the tournament’s most prolific attacking team, PulseNets reported.

While acknowledging Morocco’s home advantage, Lepasa questioned whether the Atlas Lions have faced a truly stern test. He noted that Morocco’s attack appears heavily dependent on one player. He told PulseNets, “when you look closely, a lot of Morocco’s goals are coming from Brahim Díaz. That’s different from Nigeria, where goals can come from anywhere.”

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Díaz has scored five of Morocco’s nine goals at the tournament, a contrast Lepasa believes gives Nigeria a tactical edge. PulseNets gathered that the shared scoring responsibility between Osimhen, Lookman, and other attackers makes the Super Eagles harder to neutralise.

Concluding his assessment, Lepasa maintained that Nigeria’s attacking balance could be decisive on Wednesday night, adding that “I don’t see Morocco stopping Osimhen and Lookman easily, even with the home crowd behind them.”