Niger’s head coach, Badou Zaki, has credited his team’s 2-1 victory over Ghana in their final 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier to a combination of self-belief and tactical focus. In his post-match interview, Zaki revealed how his side’s dominant 4-0 win over Sudan earlier in the week gave them the confidence to take on Ghana and secure the crucial win in their final Group F match.
Reflecting on the team’s mindset heading into the match, Zaki highlighted the insights they had gained from reviewing Ghana’s previous performances.
From the last AFCON, we knew that the Ghanaian team can score, but they also concede goals,” Zaki explained.
And our last match against Sudan gave us the belief that we could do it,” he added, underscoring the mental boost that the Sudan victory had provided his squad.
The win against Ghana, however, came despite numerous challenges, particularly in terms of travel logistics.
Zaki pointed out that many of his players are amateurs, with those playing abroad facing exhausting travel schedules ahead of matches. “Most of my players are amateurs in Niger.
For those playing abroad, they had to travel 18 hours before games and often arrived just a day prior,” he said, emphasizing the physical toll the travel had on his squad.
Zaki also commented on the difficulties his team encountered with travel arrangements.
Our flights sometimes took an hour even from Lomé to Accra.
A better travel arrangement would have made a big difference,” he noted, acknowledging the strain that long and unpredictable travel times had placed on his players.
Despite Niger’s triumph over Ghana, the team’s qualification for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco remained out of reach.
With seven points from their six matches in Group F, the victory was not enough to secure a place in the final tournament.
Nonetheless, the 2-1 win over Ghana marked a notable achievement for the team, as they finished in third place in the group, ahead of Niger’s West African rivals.
Zaki’s team, despite not securing the ultimate prize of qualification, demonstrated resilience and determination throughout the campaign, and their performance against Ghana served as a testament to their growth as a competitive force in African football.
