Francis Uzoho has described the overwhelming emotions of being recalled to the Super Eagles ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

The goalkeeper, who was the first player to arrive at the national team camp in Cairo in the early hours of Sunday, said returning to the squad felt like coming home.

Fellow goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali arrived later the same day, joining Uzoho in preparation for the tournament.

Reflecting on his time away from the team, Uzoho admitted he missed the camaraderie and the shared experiences with his teammates.

“I missed quite a lot. But like I think I missed the boys to be honest. I missed the boys. I missed the vibe in the camp, you know, because we've been quite a lot together,” he said.

He added that the most noticeable aspect he missed was the collective spirit of the squad: “Yeah, I think the most noticeable thing I missed is the boys being around, the boys and us being together in all types of challenges. We do once in a while chat, we check up on each other. Yeah. So I like, you know, I have my own colleagues that I'm quite closer to but in general I do reach out to the boys.”

Uzoho described the moment of learning about his recall as immensely uplifting.

“I was filled with joy, you know, a joy that I cannot actually express to you right now. So yeah, it was relieving to know that I'm coming back again to be with the boys and to have that same feeling we used to have before and to represent Nigeria, which is the most important thing,” he said.

Emphasizing his readiness to serve the national team, he noted, “I think anybody that is called up into the national team is ready. You know, if you're not ready, you won't be called up. I think the technical crews, the scouts, they know what they're doing and for them to call somebody up, they know that the person is ready to represent the country. So basically, I am ready and if the time comes and the country needs me, I will be ready.”

Uzoho also spoke about his strong relationships with the other goalkeepers in the squad. Regarding Amas Obasogie, he said, “I think I was with Amas twice in the national team before I stopped coming. Yeah. So he's a good lad. We were close. I'm close to everybody.” On Nwabali, he added, “And Stanley is my brother, you know, when he came, we were all together. We helped each other. I helped him. He helped me. So Stanley is a good guy, which I have a very close relationship with him. Maybe the people outside there don't see it, but personally with him, I'm good with him. And also with Amas.”

The Super Eagles have been drawn in Group C alongside Tunisia, Tanzania, and Uganda for the AFCON in Morocco.

Ahead of the tournament, the team will play a warm-up match against Egypt on Tuesday as they prepare to represent Nigeria on the continental stage.

Wale Adejumo