Super Eagles of Nigeria head coach, Jose Peseiro has admitted that he is banking on the country’s talisman to win the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The 2023 AFCON will commence on January 13, 2024, after it was postponed from June this year due to the unfriendly weather conditions in Ivory Coast.
The Super Eagles have qualified for the tournament before their last game against Sao Tome and Principe which ended 6-0 in favour of Nigeria.
They have been placed in Pot 2 alongside Burkina Faso, Mali, South Africa, Ghana, Cameroon, and Burkina Faso ahead of the 2023 AFCON draw which will take place on October 12, 2023.
This means that the Super Eagles won’t meet the aforementioned teams in the group stage and they are not likely to meet until the quarter-finals stage.
Some of the early favorites include reigning African champions Senegal, Nigeria, Egypt, and Morocco who finished fourth in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
One of the players to watch out for in the tournament is Victor Osimhen who finished the 2023 AFCON qualifiers with 10 goals and was named the series’ topscorer.
Hence, coach Jose Peseiro is backing the 24-year-old Napoli striker to help the Super Eagles win the continental trophy in Ivory Coast for the first time since 2013.
“He (Osimhen) finished the qualifying series with 10 goals and is the top scorer,” Peseiro told Gazzetta dello Sport.
“Now we hope it will help us win the Africa Cup of Nations (in Ivory Coast). It was the usual Victor, happy and smiling, it’s a win-win for everyone.
“I was afraid he could come sad and instead I found him unleashed. He worked and showed beautiful things. He played fantastic games, scoring three goals against Sao Tome & Principe.”
