By Daily Sports Nigeria on December 21, 2023
Ahead of next year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, former Super Eagles midfielder, Mutiu Adepoju, has tagged the trio Nigeria, Egypt and Senegal the favourites to win the tournament, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The 34th edition of the AFCON will take place from January 13 to February across five major cities in Ivory Coast.
CAF on Wednesday officially released the provisional lists submitted by all the 24 countries preparing for the showpiece with the football powerhouses naming a very strong squad.
Knowing what it takes to win the AFCON, Adepoju, who was part of the Eagles squad that conquered the continent in Tunisia in 1994, believed there won’t be a winner outside of the former champions.
The 52-year-old retired midfielder played a key role in the country’s road to the final of the competition.
The Ibadan-born midfielder scored a goal at the AFCON after netting in Nigeria’s 3-0 win against Gabon in their Group B game.
“There are many favourites to win the tournament in Ivory Coast and Nigeria are one of them,” Adepoju told PUNCH Sports Extra.
“I will also tip Egypt and Senegal but it is going to be difficult to say who will be the winner until the championship starts because now in football you can really predict what will happen.
“We will wait until the tournament starts and see how it ends but I know Nigeria are among the favourites to win it.”
Meanwhile, Nigeria have been paired in a tricky Group A that has the hosts, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea Bissau.
While the Eagles are hoping to win the biennial competition for the fourth time having done so in 1980, 1994 and 2013, Egypt, who are the most successful nation in the cup’s history, having won the tournament seven times, will be hoping to extend their record-winning streaks.
On the other hand, champions, Senegal, will hope to defend their title in Ivory Coast.
Source Punch Ng
Posted December 21, 2023
You may also like...
Real Madrid Give Arsenal June Deadline For Aubameyang...
BREAKING NEWS: Bomb scare at Old Trafford; Manchester...
Courtois: I Had Real Madrid Talks With Hazard...
Sevilla sack Vincenzo Montella, name Joaquin Caparro as...
Ajibade Joins Atletico Madrid
Meet Mother of FCT Sports, Chief (Mrs.) Dilichukwu...
CAF awards: Ajibade, Nnadozie, Edo Queens bag nominations
Lagos SWAN, PAACC Hold SWAN Day At Golfview Hotels, Ikeja
Crisis looms as Eagles’ form raises AFCON, W’Cup concerns
Ex-Nigerian Super Falcons player handcuffed, children assaulted as police storm Anambra Football Academy Sports
NFF, teammates console Nwabali on father’s death
_3.jpg)
Abia Govt hails Nigeria Olympic Committee over staging an admin course in Umuahia
Libya deliver Eagles 2025 AFCON ticket
Eagles battle Cheetahs for 2025 AFCON ticket
Yellow Greens gear up for T20 W’Cup qualifiers
Tyson tips Fury to beat Joshua
Sadiq absent as 22 Eagles train in Abidjan
Eagles’ striking trio hot for Cheetahs, Amavubi clashes
Most Read
Rangers International going, going . . . (55,164 views)
Amaju Pinnick: A cat with nine lives (46,308 views)
Second Term: Amaju Pinnick, Other NFF Heavyweights Home to Roost •How Pinnick Broke the Jinx (44,370 views)
Missing $150,000 IAAF Grant: Solomon Dalung’s Hide and Seek game (44,015 views)
Sports Development: Zenith Bank on the zenith (43,948 views)
Current issues in Nigerian sports: Matters arising (43,904 views)
Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s solid footprints, commitment to sports development in Kano State (43,743 views)
NFF Presidency: Pinnick, Maigari, Ogunjobi, Okoye in Battle for Supremacy (43,312 views)
Olopade, BET9A wave of revolution in NNL (42,366 views)
Commonwealth Games 2018: Shame of Muhammadu Buhari, Solomon Dalung (41,054 views)
Ibrahimovic’s Man U exit: Whose decision is it? And in whose interest? (39,507 views)
John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call! (38,931 views)