Nigeria forward Samuel Chukwueze insists the Africa Cup of Nations deserves the same respect as Europe’s premier international tournament.
The 2025 edition in Morocco is already underway, yet the competition has long faced criticism, particularly from European quarters, over its timing. Many clubs lose key players for several weeks, fueling complaints about scheduling.
Chukwueze, who plays for Fulham in England, rejects such criticism. Speaking to On Sports TV, as reported by Flashscore, he said:
“Everybody wants to play in AFCON. It’s one of the best competitions in the world,” Chukwueze said.
He acknowledged the scheduling challenges but stressed that players have no option but to represent their countries.
“You have to respect the AFCON the same way you respect the European Championship or World Cup.”
“We understand they scheduled it at the wrong time of the year, but when it’s important, if you get recalled you have to go.
“You don’t have any choice, your club can’t stop you and no one should say anything bad about the AFCON. Yes, they put it at the wrong time, but saying it’s not a good competition or a great competition is unacceptable,” he added.
Nigeria kicked off their campaign with a 2-1 win and will take on Tunisia in their next group stage match.
