AFCON 2025: ANFASSC returns home with pride

AFCON 2025: ANFASSC returns home with pride, applauds Nigerians' support, sets sights on WAFCON Morocco

The Authentic Nigeria Football and Allied Sports Supporters Club (ANFASSC) has returned to Nigeria following a successful and impactful outing at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where the Super Eagles secured a bronze medal finish and once again reaffirmed Nigeria’s strong presence on the continental football stage.

Throughout the tournament, ANFASSC played an active, organised, and disciplined role in supporting the Super Eagles, maintaining a visible and coordinated presence that reflected national pride, unity, and purpose. From the group stages through to the third-place playoff, the club’s structured chants, cultural expressions, and responsible conduct contributed to a positive matchday atmosphere and effective fan representation for Nigeria.

The AFCON 2025 campaign stands as a proud moment for the Nigerian supporters’ community and a collective effort that merits recognition. ANFASSC believes that the consistency, professionalism, and national visibility demonstrated throughout the tournament underscore the importance of organised supporters in modern football and the need to continually encourage and strengthen such structures.

ANFASSC acknowledges the cooperation and engagement of the National Sports Commission (NSC) and relevant sports authorities, whose coordination and support contributed to smooth operations, improved structure, and constructive engagement during the tournament.

The working relationships built throughout AFCON 2025 remain valuable as Nigeria prepares for future international engagements.

Special recognition is accorded to the President of ANFASSC, Prince Abayomi Ogunjimi, whose leadership and personal commitment stood out throughout the competition. His constant presence in and around the stadium, combined with his colourful and culturally expressive attire, projected Nigeria’s identity with pride and dignity. His representation reflected a legacy-driven approach to supporter leadership and showcased Nigeria positively on the continental stage, deserving national acknowledgment and encouragement.

ANFASSC also expresses appreciation to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, Ahmad Gambo Saleh, Esq., Yemi Idowu, the National Sports Commission, Dotnet Hub Foundation and other partners and supporters, among many others, for their support, goodwill, and belief in structured sports development and national representation.

As attention turns to future competitions, ANFASSC notes that the conclusion of the last WAFCON tournament further highlights the urgent need for increased supporter mobilisation. Recent experiences, particularly the AFCON final, clearly demonstrated to the global football community the critical impact of supporters in large numbers in driving team morale, influencing matchday atmosphere, and sustaining performance under pressure. In this regard, ANFASSC advocates for a deliberate expansion of Nigeria’s organised supporters’ presence, targeting a mobilisation strength of 400 to 500 supporters for future major tournaments.

The club notes that organised supporters in other African nations, such as the Lumumba supporters of Uganda, have received national recognition for similar contributions, reinforcing the value of supporters as cultural ambassadors and morale drivers for national teams.

In line with this vision, preparations are already being considered ahead of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco, with ANFASSC reaffirming its commitment to structured planning, early mobilisation, and stakeholder engagement to ensure strong, visible, and disciplined support for Nigeria’s women’s national team.

The AFCON 2025 experience provides a solid foundation for improved planning, collaboration, and impact as ANFASSC continues its mission to support Nigerian teams with unity, discipline, and purpose, while contributing meaningfully to the growth, organisation, and global image of Nigerian sports.