Super Eagles’ price tag falls, but AFCON pressure rises
By: Akinde S. Oluwaseun
The Africa Cup of Nations is rolling on in Morocco. Loud. Colourful. Unforgiving.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles are still standing, one of 16 teams that survived the group stage after three tense rounds. Now the real business begins.
As always, AFCON brings more than football. It brings judgment. On players. On teams. On money too. Across the continent, Europe-based stars are back in the spotlight, trying to turn club reputation into national glory. Some succeed. Many don’t.
Over 30 Premier League players are involved this time. Mohamed Salah left Liverpool fans puzzled with a vague goodbye before linking up with Egypt. Bryan Mbeumo swapped club duties for Cameroon colours. Others followed quietly. No drama. Just duty.
Big names are everywhere. Achraf Hakimi for the hosts. Victor Osimhen for Nigeria. Osimhen already reminded everyone who he is, snapping a nine-game international goal drought against Tunisia. A small moment, maybe. But important.
Ivory Coast came in as defending champions. Egypt, with their seven titles, still carry history on their backs. Yet this AFCON feels different. Squad values are now part of the conversation. Numbers talking. Loudly.
Senegal lead the money table. €449m. Massive. A 64 per cent jump from two years ago. Pape Thiaw’s team is stacked, especially going forward. Nicolas Jackson, now at Bayern Munich, tops their list at €50m. Iliman Ndiaye, Ismaila Sarr, Pape Matar Sarr. Options everywhere. Pain for defenders.
Morocco, playing at home, aren’t far behind. Their squad value has climbed to €438.65m. Hakimi’s rise helps. So does a solid European core. The expectations? Heavy. Home crowds don’t forgive easily.
Ivory Coast tell a calmer story. Their value barely moved. Up just 1.3 per cent. Stable. No fireworks.
Nigeria sit fourth. Still respected. Still feared. But the numbers sting a bit.
The Super Eagles’ squad value has dropped 18 per cent since 2023. From €349m to €286.5m. A sharp fall. Mostly Osimhen-related. His move to Galatasaray saw his valuation slide from €110m to €75m.
Does it matter on the pitch? Maybe. Maybe not.
Nigeria still have match-winners. Ademola Lookman is one of them. Four goal contributions already. €40m valuation. Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi are steady. Reliable. They know this level.
Cameroon are lurking. Quietly dangerous. Their squad value jumped 85 per cent to €254m. Mbeumo now carries a €75m tag after his Manchester United move. Carlos Baleba is valued at €60m. Youth. Energy. Ambition.
Then there’s South Africa. Still cheap on paper, but improving fast. A 139.8 per cent rise tells a rebuilding story. Slow. Patient. Hopeful.
Individually, Hakimi stands tallest. €80m. A defender, oddly enough. But not just any defender. Morocco are chasing their first AFCON title since 1976. A long wait. Painful, even.
Osimhen remains Nigeria’s crown jewel. His value dipped, yes. But his threat hasn’t. Twelve goals in 16 club games this season. Thirty-two goals in 47 for Nigeria. Frank Onyeka says he’s “on a different level”. Defenders agree. Quietly.
Elsewhere, Egypt may lean on Omar Marmoush. €65m. Hungry. Determined. Senegal will expect Jackson to deliver with more freedom than he gets at club level.
In the end, AFCON rarely obeys price tags. It never has.
For Nigeria, belief still matters more than market value. Under Eric Chelle, with Osimhen leading the line and balance across the squad, the hope is simple. Turn potential into silverware. Finally.
