Former Assistant Coach of Tanzania national team Taifa Stars, Emeka Amadi, has expressed his optimism that the Super Eagles have the wherewithal to win the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire if Nigerians rally around the team, Completesports.com reports.
Former Flying Eagles goalkeeper, Amadi, said the Head Coach, Jose Peseiro, has picked the players he believes will deliver his plans of winning the AFCON 2023, adding that criticism of his 25-man final list at this stage will be counter-productive urging that “all that Peseiro needs now is support for him and the players to achieve their set target’.
The goalkeeper trainer who assisted Emmanuel Amunuke in winning the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2015 said the Super Eagles under Peseiro do not have an enviable record but believes that the team is primed to make the top podium finish in Cote d’Ivoire.
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“After over one year as coach of the Super Eagles, I believe that Peseiro and his squad of players are primed to deliver Nigeria’s fourth AFCON trophy in Cote D’Ivoire. Players for players, I think we rank among the best in Africa and if the boys rise to the occasion, we can win the cup,” Amadi enthused.
“At this stage, we should not be analysing or criticising the list of players selected by the coach, we shall muster support and encourage the players and officials to deliver. One certain thing is that every team will raise their game when they face the Super Eagles, so the boys must raise their game irrespective of the opponent.
He added: “The Super Eagles must, first of all, be at their very best to emerge from their Group A which includes host Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, and Guinea Bissau, and reach the knockout stage. There should be no room for errors. Any mistake in the Second Round could be costly, so they must be careful.
“I believe that the Super Eagles can win AFCON 2023 if our boys show enough hunger for the trophy. The players must show the Naija spirit of never giving up to realise our collective dream. It is a big task but we can win it if they have a huge appetite to win. It is going to be one of the toughest AFCON outings in recent years,” the former Flying Eagles goalkeeper reiterated.
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Asked to predict other countries that would be strong contenders for the AFCON 2023 title, Amadi said every team that qualified for the tournament is a contender but was quick to pick defending champion Senegal with their star-studded team as capable of retaining the title.
“Five countries, including host Cote d’Ivoire, are capable of dethroning Senegal. They are Egypt, Nigeria, Morocco, and Cameroon. One should also not write off the likes of Tunisia, Algeria, and Ghana who are blessed with arrays of top-quality players and coaches,” Amadi concluded.
The Super Eagles start their AFCON 2023 campaign with their first Group A match against Equatorial Guinea on Sunday, January 14 at the Olympic Stadium of Ebimpe, Abidjan. They will face host nation Cote d’Ivoire at the venue on Thursday, January 18, then clash with Guinea-Bissau on matchday 3 on Monday, January 22 at Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium, also in Abidjan.
By Richard Jideaka, Abuja
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