Sevilla striker and Super Eagles forward Akor Adams has commended the spirit of sportsmanship and resilience upheld within the Nigerian team after their impressive run at the 2025 TotalEnergies African Cup of Nations tournament in Morocco, which ended with a bronze medal finish.
The Super Eagles stayed unbeaten in the tournament before losing out on a penalty shoot-out against the host Morocco in the semi-final.
Adams extolled the head coach Eric Chelle’s doggedness, praising him for building a united and disciplined group within a short period.
“We are all grateful to Eric Chelle for what he has done for us as a group in the last three weeks. We are better people because of him.”
”He has given me the opportunity to represent my beloved Nigeria.”
“We’re the best. We’re the best team. We came for the gold, and we did not take it, but we are proud of what we have been able to achieve. We are a very strong group.”
”Everybody is going home with a better friendship with the next person, as a better person,” Adams said in a post-match interview on Saturday after beating Egypt 4-2 on penalties.
The striker was faced with personal challenges during the tournament also came with personal challenges for the forward, as his mother was unwell during the competition.
Adams described the period as emotionally demanding but expressed gratitude for the support his family received.
“Like every other tournament, things will happen in between, and family issues are not separate from that,
“I’m grateful it was not anything too big or out of control. I’m also grateful to the CAF medical team because they took care of her. She’s much better now, and I’m glad we got to experience this together.”
The striker stated that “I’m not very happy, but the most important thing is we came out with a win,” he said, adding that celebrations would be modest.
“Some people came and went home with nothing. We’ll just go back to the hotel first, try to eat, and then we’ll see what happens.”
Adams expressed that experience remains overwhelmingly positive, marking his first major international tournament with the Super Eagles.
“Everything for me is positive. It’s my first. There’s nothing to compare it to, so it’s positive,” he said.
He also addressed incidents involving fan behaviour during the tournament, stressing the need for respect and sportsmanship across African football.
“I think you do not kick somebody when he’s down,” Adams stated. “He was passionate for his country, but when Congo lost, all that happened was not acceptable. It’s not acceptable in Africa.”
