The Super Eagles of Nigeria have expressed readiness ahead of their highly anticipated Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Group A battle against hosts Cote d’Ivoire on Thursday, at the Olympic Stadium of Ebimpe in Abidjan.
Three-time African champions, Nigeria, faces increased pressure to secure a win and avoid the risk of an early group-stage exit. The Super Eagles, led by striker Victor Osimhen, would need to be clinical in front of goal to have any chance of progressing to the next stage of the competition.
Speaking with Voice of Nigeria in Abidjan, the players said they will leave no stone unturned in their quest to redeem Nigeria’s chances.
The Super Eagles know they will have to improve drastically in what promises to be a decisive heavyweight fixture in the battle to win the Group A against a resilient Cote d’Ivoire side.
The hosts made a strong start to their AFCON campaign, beating Guinea-Bissau 2-0 in the tournament opener. However, Nigeria have plenty of work to do in Group A after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Equatorial Guinea.
Nigeria will seek their first victory at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations when they meet hosts Cote d’Ivoire.
The Super Eagles must avoid a defeat and possibly beat Cote d’Ivoire to brighten their chances of making it to the knockout round of the AFCON.
The Super Eagles and the Elephants are regarded as this edition’s favourites owing to the quality of their squads.
However, Nigerian football legend Austin Jay-Jay Okocha, is anticipating a tough outing between the teams and explained why he feels Jose Peseiro’s team can get a win.
The legendary @IAmOkocha brought magic to our camp and wished us luck ahead of tomorrow’s cracker.#soarsupereagles #letsdoitagain pic.twitter.com/TBQp2zitxs
— 🇳🇬 Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) January 17, 2024
“Absolutely! Every match is difficult but when you play the host country, it is even more difficult,” Okocha said in an interview.
“But, of course, the beauty of football is that if you want to be champions, you have to win against the best and as we know, in football, every match is difficult. If you are well prepared, you have a chance of winning your match.
“But, we Nigerians, we know that it will be a difficult match but also, we believe that we have enough potential to be able to win this match. “My favourite [to win AFCON], of course, is Nigeria, naturally. Come on, we’ll wait and see,” he added.
In the 2021 edition, Nigeria failed to get past the Round of 16 after winning all the group matches. Coach Jose Peseiro and his men have to bounce back after their initial draw to stand a chance of advancing.
The Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire will be relying on the 12th man at home to cheer their players to another vital win against the favourites.
