The Confederation of African Football has officially recognised the standout performers from the group stage of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, with Nigeria's Ademola Lookman earning a prestigious spot. The Atalanta forward was the only player from the Super Eagles selected for the CAF Group Stage Best XI, highlighting his crucial role in Nigeria's successful start to the tournament.
Lookman's Stellar Impact Rewarded
Ademola Lookman's inclusion comes after a series of brilliant displays for the Nigerian national team. Operating in advanced midfield and wide attacking roles, the winger made a decisive impact in just two appearances. He contributed two goals and provided two assists, consistently proving to be a nightmare for opposition defenders.
His ability to dictate the tempo of play and create dangerous opportunities made him Nigeria's most influential attacker during the group phase. This was further confirmed by Lookman recording the highest average player rating for the Super Eagles in the first round of the competition.
CAF's Best XI and Coach of the Group Stage
CAF unveiled the elite team in a 3-4-3 formation on its official social media channels on January 2, 2026. The selection features top talents from across the continent:
- Goalkeeper: Mohamed El Shenawy (Egypt)
- Defenders: Edmond Tapsoba (Burkina Faso), Axel Tuanzebe (DR Congo), Noussair Mazraoui (Morocco)
- Midfielders: Yassine Abdi (Tunisia), Carlos Baleba (Cameroon), Ademola Lookman (Nigeria), Brahim Díaz (Morocco)
- Forwards: Sadio Mané (Senegal), Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast), Riyad Mahrez (Algeria)
In a further boost for Nigeria, Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle was named the CAF Group Stage Coach of the Tournament, acknowledging his tactical leadership.
Osimhen Omission and Super Eagles' Group Stage Dominance
The decision to leave out striker Victor Osimhen from the Best XI has generated significant discussion among fans and football analysts. The Galatasaray star and Nigerian captain started all three group matches, leading the team to a 3–1 win over Uganda. However, his relative lack of goals in the group stage likely influenced the selectors, despite his overall leadership and contribution to the team's play.
Nigeria enjoyed a highly productive group stage, finishing at the summit of Group C with a perfect record. They secured victories against Tanzania (2–1), Tunisia (3–2), and Uganda (3–1). With eight goals scored across three matches, the Super Eagles averaged an impressive 2.7 goals per game. This marks their most potent group-stage performance since the 2008 edition of the tournament.
With the group stage now behind them, the focus for Eric Chelle's men shifts sharply to the knockout rounds. Nigeria is set to face Mozambique in the Round of 16 on January 5, 2026. The team will be hoping that Lookman's excellent form continues as they aim to progress deeper into the competition and challenge for the AFCON title.
