Super Eagles defender Chidozie Awaziem says lifting the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) trophy next year would help ease the pain of Nigeria’s failure to reach the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Naija News reports that the Super Eagles of Nigeria missed out on a place at the tournament after a dramatic African playoff defeat, losing 4-3 on penalties to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

It marks the second straight FIFA World Cup the West African football giants will sit out, a situation that has the fans of the national team frustrated.

Speaking to the official website of French club FC Nantes, Awaziem said the Super Eagles must stop dwelling on the setback and focus on delivering success at the 2025 AFCON.

“Winning the AFCON is my focus with Nigeria. I don’t like to dwell on not qualifying for the World Cup. For us, for the country, for our loved ones, we have to correct this mistake,” Awaziem told FC Nantes’ official website.

Naija News reports that Awaziem was included in Eric Chelle’s provisional squad for the 2025 AFCON. The centre-back is expected to be one of the players who will make it into the final squad list for the tournament, which will be held in Morocco.

Nigeria’s first match is against Tanzania on Tuesday, 23 December in Fez.

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