Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong says it would be an “amazing” moment for him and his country to lift the Africa Cup of Nations trophy on Sunday.
The Super Eagles will face hosts Ivory Coast in the final in Abidjan, after beating South Africa on penalties in the semi-finals.
Troost-Ekong, who plays as a centre-back for Greek club PAOK, has been a key figure in Nigeria’s defence, leading by example and scoring against Ivory Coast in the group stage and South Africa.
“You dream about moments like that,” he told BBC Sport Africa.
“I’ve seen it so many times. And I’ve closed my eyes. To actually be there on Sunday and have the chance to do that will be amazing.”
Troost-Ekong, who was born in the Netherlands to a Dutch mother and a Nigerian father, represented the Netherlands at youth level before switching allegiance to Nigeria in 2015.
He has since earned more than 60 caps for the Super Eagles and was part of the team that won the bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics and finished third at the 2019 AFCON.
Nigeria were not among the favourites to win the trophy before the finals, as they had a poor start to their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign and were ranked sixth in Africa by FIFA.
But the Super Eagles have been the best team at the tournament since the last 16, where they saw off the likes of Senegal, Morocco and Egypt, who have won the title a record seven times.