Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Grassroots Sports Development, Adeyinka Adeboye, has reflected on the recently concluded Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, describing it as a major step forward for African football while highlighting key lessons Nigeria must learn—especially in infrastructure development.

Assessing the tournament’s overall standard, Adeboye acknowledged minor refereeing errors in the semi-finals and final but stressed that officiating decisions are never easy. He noted that Africa’s football continues to improve, pointing to the competitive balance of matches and the fact that traditional powerhouses failed to reach the latter stages as evidence of growing depth on the continent.

He praised the quality of players on display during both the preliminaries and the main tournament, saying African footballers now command global recognition for their skill, confidence, and character. According to him, the performances across nations showed that Africa has made significant progress and will continue to improve in future editions.

Turning to Nigeria, Adeboye described the Super Eagles as a world-class side, commending their discipline, unity, and team spirit. He also heaped praise on head coach Eric Chelle, crediting him for his strong understanding of the players and game management. Adeboye believes Chelle should be retained, arguing that continuity will help the team grow stronger and better integrate younger talents.

On infrastructure, Adeboye was particularly struck by Morocco’s facilities, especially the stadium in Rabat, which he said moved him emotionally. He described Morocco’s sporting infrastructure as comparable to European standards and urged Nigeria to learn from their model, where stadiums are largely government-owned and professionally managed.

He emphasized the urgent need for Nigeria to focus on grassroots development and modern facilities, adding that he plans to engage the President and the National Sports Commission leadership to push for improved standards. According to him, Morocco’s success shows what is possible with vision, planning, and government commitment.