NIGERIA SUPER EAGLES Profile at AFCON 2023 - AFCON Series

Let’s talk about the Super Eagles, Nigeria at AFCON 2023. Nigeria will be playing in their 20th AFCON tournament in 2023 after making their debut in 1963. Nigeria are popularly called the Super Eagles, are 3 times champions of Africa. The most recent triumph in AFCON 2013 with players like Emmanuel Emunike, Sunday Mba, Ahmed Musa, Mikel obi, Victor Moses etc. This time the team is a whole lot different with Ahmed Musa and Kenneth Omeruo the only survivors of the 2013 squad in the current AFCON team.

As of the time of making this video, Nigeria have released a 41 man provisional squad for the AFCON which will be trimmed down to 27 squad for the Africa Cup. Some notable names in the defense includes Ola Aina, Calvin Bassey, Kenneth Omeruo, William Troost Ekong.

In the Midfield some names to also highlight is Wilfred Onyinye Ndidi, Alexander Chuka Iwobi, Franck Onyeka.

And the star studded attack which includes Victor James osimhen, Victor Okoh Boniface, Ademola Lookman, Moses Simon, Samuel Chukwueze, Kelechi Promise Iheanacho.

There are however some notable omissions from the Nigeria squad with Taiwo Awoniyi currently injured and Gift Orban who was not included in the team.

Nigeria have very big problems in their goalkeeping sector. The current number 1 Francis Uzoho has failed to sealed his spot in the National team after conceding some soft goals and making some goalkeeping errors in his last few games.

Without blinking, the obvious strong hold of Nigeria is in their attack. With some of the most on form forwards in World football, no country in Africa can match Nigeria’s attack line.

Led by the current best player in Africa Victor Osimhen, also present is Victor Boniface who is the top scorer for his club Bayer Leverkusen. Ademola Lookman is also the top scorer for his club Atalanta in Italy’s Serie A. Terem Moffi is also the top scorer for his club OGC Nice in the French League. Paul Onuachu is the top scorer for his club Trapzonspor in the Turkish League.

But despite all this, the goals have not been coming for Nigeria. In the last 6 official games, Nigeria have scored more than 1 goal in only two of their last 6 games with friendly matches excluded.

In defense, this is where the trouble starts for Nigeria. Despite having Ola Aina who plays for Nottingham Forest to possible play the RB position, Semi Ajayi who’s playing in CB alongside Calvin Bassay of Fulham also in CB, Nigeria have struggle to shut their defense in recent games. So from the last 6 official games, the super Eagles have kept cleansheet against only 2 countries, as they conceded against Guinea Bissau, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Sierra leone.

Nigeria have some quality names in midfield with Wilfred Ndidi who plays for Leicester City who is expected to dominate the midfield in his box to box role for Nigeria. There is also the presence of Alex Iwobi who plays for Fulham with the ability to carry the ball and create chances for the team from midfield. But from the last 6 games, only 2 assists have come from the midlfield, one from Ndidi and the other from Joe Aribo with less chances being created from their midfield.

Nigeria are in a very difficult Group with hosts Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea Bissau.

Equatorial Guinea were dark horses in the last AFCOn and reached the semi final. Since elimination from that AFCON, Equatorial Guinea have lost just a single game since then. And in the whole of 2023, they haven’t lost any game recording 5 wins and 2 draws.

Cote d’Ivoire playing as hosts with their quality would be too strong of a side for Nigeria to compete against.

With the current struggles of Nigeria especially in defense and goalkeeping, our prediction is for Nigeria to finish in 3rd place in the Group, qualify as one of the best 3rd place finishers but be eliminated in the Round 16 stage.