Who’s Nigeria’s opponent for the AFCON 2023 slated for Ivory Coast?
The battle lines were officially drawn when the 24 African nations who qualified for the 34th edition of the Mundial met their opponents at the draw ceremony held at Parc des Expositions d’Abidjan a few weeks ago.
With the 2023 AFCON just three months away, football fans across the continent are anxious and looking forward to African stars in action on Ivory Coast’s soil.
The biennial tournament slated for Ivory Coast next year has set up the fortunate nations gearing up for the showpiece, from 13 January to February 11, 2024, with some of the debutants set to ruffle feathers with the big boys.
A Brief History Of Nigeria’s Super Eagles At AFCON
- Ranking: 40
- Nickname: Super Eagles
- Head coach: José Peseiro
- Most Cap Player: Ahmed Musa (108)
- Top Scorer: Rashidi Yekini (37)
- Home Ground: Moshood Abiola National Stadium
While collectively the Eagles were brilliant albeit against a less fancied opponent, however, their level of performance differed against Sao Tome and Principe.
The Super Eagles booked their place at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations with a comprehensive 6-0 win over Sao Tome and Principe.
The three-time African Champions will be going to the event next year with a host of talented faces, who are doing well for their respective clubs in our quest to win our fourth AFCON title in Abidjan.
With Jose Peseiro’s led side already aware of their opponents for next year’s AFCON, let’s take you through the brief history of our darling nation.
Unlike the World Cup where Nigeria has only reached the round of 16 thrice, AFCON is a competition Eagles has consistently excelled in.
Prior to every tournament, Nigeria is often picked as a favorite to win the gong, and while we’ve only won the cup thrice we’ve also finished third 15 times since 1976.
Nigeria first participated in the Nations Cup when Ghana hosted in 1963, but the then Green Eagles couldn’t go past the first round.
However, fast forward to the new generation of players who sported the Eagles jersey, they’ve been able to win the AFCON thrice while in search of the fourth title next year in Abidjan.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles Opponents For AFCON 2023
Ivory Coast – (Host Nation)
- Ranking: 52
- Nickname: Les Éléphants (The Elephants)
- Head coach: Jean-Louis Gasset
- Most Cap Player : Didier Zokora (123)
- Top Scorer: Didier Drogba (65)
- Home Ground: Stade Alassane Ouattara
Cote D’Ivoire is hosting the Africa Cup for Nations for the second time, having hosted the tournament for the first time in 1984.
Les Elephants, may not be the most successful team in the history of AFCON, but they’re one of the most successful teams to have won the competition twice.
The Ivorian national has appeared in four AFCON finals prior to this moment that they would be hosting next year, having done so in 1992, 2006, 2012, and 2015.
The team won their first AFCON title in 1992 via penalties after extra time and also clinched the gong in 2015.
The host nation may not have the luxury of parading brilliant talents in the mode of former legends of the country, but they’ve got the experience of Frank Kessie and the trickery Wilfred Zaha to bank on next year.
The last host nation to reach the AFCON finals was Egypt who won the title on home soil in 2006, perhaps Cote D’Ivoire could replicate the Pharaoh’s feat next year on home soil.
Guinea Bissau – (4th Appearance)
- Ranking: 111
- Nickname: Djurtus
- Head coach: Baciro Candé
- Most Cap Player: Jonas Mendes (54)
- Top Scorer: Nando Có (9)
- Home Ground: Estádio 24 de Setembro Estádio Lino Correia
The Djurtus have qualified for each AFCON tournament since their debut in 2017, but next year’s competition slated for Abidjan would be their 4th appearance.
The minnows qualified for the 2021 edition after finishing as runners-up to Senegal in Group I, and during the draw, they were placed in the same group with Nigeria, Egypt, and Sudan.
During the competition held in Cameroon, the Djurtus couldn’t progress to the Round of 16 having failed to challenge the Super Eagles and Egypt for a qualification position.
With the next AFCON knocking on the door the Djurtus may not have the finest of players playing with top clubs in Europe, but they could bank on the experience of players like Frederic Mendy and Mauro Teixeira next year.
Equatorial Guinea – (4th Appearance)
- Ranking: 91
- Nickname: Nzalang Nacional (National Thunder)
- Head coach: Juan Micha
- Most Cap Player: Federico Bikoro (43)
- Top Scorer: Emilio Nsue (15)
- Home Ground: Estadio de Malabo
Los Elefantes has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup, but they’ve qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations thrice, the first two times as hosts in 2012 and 2015.
Equatorial Guinea’s best AFCON results is a fourth-place finish in the 2015 edition at home and a quarter-finalist in the 2012 edition which they co-hosted with Gabon.
Having hosted the AFCON in 2012 and 2015, Los Elefantes missed out on the two following editions of the competition but returned to the continental stage in 2021.
With Equatorial Guinea boosting of great records in the group stages, they’d be brimming with confidence and banking on their previous experiences to scale through in Group A.
Can they defy the odds in a group with Cote D’Ivoire, Nigeria, and Guinea-Bissau, only time will tell as the AFCON knocks on the door.
Nigerian Players Who Made It To The Super Eagles Directly From The NPFL
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