As the Super Eagles camp for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) has opened in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) today, Coach Jose Paseiro has declared that the team will fight to win the Africa Cup.
“We will fight to win the Africa Cup even though it won’t be easy,” Peseiro told NFF TV.
“Our group is not easy because we are up against the Ivory Coast, who have a good squad and are playing at home.
Coach Jose Peseiro has already named 25 players for the competition which begins mid-January in the West African nation of Cote d’Ivoire. The team has one home-based player while the other invitees are expected in camp from their different European bases.
Samuel Chukwueze of AC Milan, goalkeeper Francis Uzoho, William Troost-Ekong, and Sadiq Umar of Real Sociedad have been granted permission to feature for their sides in games later today and will therefore join the camp on Wednesday.
Nigeria iteam is camping in the oil-rich nation for a week in preparation for the biennial football competition. The Super Eagles are in Group A of the competition alongside hosts Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, and Equatorial Guinea.
Their first game is against Equatorial Guinea on Sunday, January 15th, 2024 while the second is against Cote d’Ivoire four days later. After this, the three-time AFCON winners take the battle to Guinea-Bissau on Monday, January 22.
While Peseiro is going into the competition under pressure due to lack lustre performance in 20226 World Cup qualification campaign, the former Al-Ahly coach is optimistic that the Super Eagles’ chances of would click trophy which it won last eleven years ago in South Africa.
“We will fight to win the Africa Cup even though it won’t be easy,” Peseiro told NFF TV.
“Our group is not easy because we are up against the Ivory Coast, who have a good squad and are playing at home.
