Former Real Madrid midfielder and Nigerian football legend, Mutiu Adepoju, has expressed his confidence in the current Super Eagles team’s potential to win the 2023 AFCON finals.
His statement comes following Nigeria’s impressive performance in recent international friendly matches.
The Super Eagles secured a 2-2 draw against Saudi Arabia and clinched a 3-2 victory over Mozambique during the recent FIFA break. Adepoju, who was a part of Nigeria’s triumphant 1994 AFCON squad in Tunisia, shared his views on the Super Eagles’ chances in the upcoming tournament.
Adepoju mentioned the wealth of talented players in Africa, highlighting the exceptional performances of Nigerian players competing in Europe and local Nigerian clubs. He firmly believes that the time is right for Nigeria to make its mark at the tournament.
The Super Eagles are grouped with Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau in Group A at the 2023 AFCON finals, which are scheduled for January and February 2024.
Nigeria’s last AFCON victory was in 2013 in South Africa, led by coach Sunday Keshi. Adepoju expressed the urgency for Nigeria to secure another championship, saying, “We can’t be saying we are just going to the Nations Cup to participate. Since 2013, we’ve not won any AFCON. We’ve reached the semifinals a few times, but we haven’t won it. I think it’s time, and we also have the quality to win it.”
With Adepoju’s optimism and the recent performances of the Super Eagles, Nigerian football fans have reason to anticipate a strong showing in the 2023 AFCON tournament.
