Afcon: Taribo thinks Eagles can win with adequate preparation but Udeze writes Our Boys off

Dec 8, 2023 - 16:32

Two former Super Eagles defenders Taribo West and Ifeanyi Udeze recently gave divergent views on the chances of the Super Eagles in the 2023 Afcon slated for Cote d’Ivoire next January.

In separate interviews with Punch Newspaper, West gave the Super Eagles a chance if they prepare adequately while Udeze thinks Our Boys are outsiders.

Said West,” For me, that group with Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, and Guinea Bissau is not going to be easy. It is a setup, but I think with the Nigerian faith and maximum preparation, coupled with other issues that should be sorted out on time like the players’ bonuses, we can go through because these issues are what demoralize players.

“Remember that at the Women’s World Cup, there was the problem of match bonuses, not just with Nigeria but also with some other African countries. How do you expect the players to go out and perform with that? These issues should have been resolved so that the players could go with maximum preparations. Anyway, knowing what is at stake, I am sure they will make it through the group stage to the round of 16. I believe Nigeria have a team that can beat anybody and go on to win the trophy but preparations are key.

West is backing on adequate preparation and our top players,

‘’We have (Victor) Osimhen, who is on fire and we also have (Wilfred) Ndidi, who is doing very well with Leicester City in the Championship. There is also Kenneth Omeruo, who is a very experienced player and has won the AFCON before. We have a very good squad that we can bank on but I also pray that this tournament will bring the best out of our coach so that we can have the edge over our opponents technically. I am not afraid of any team we come up against but my only worry is the federation and also the preparation. If the federation can work it through and ensure that there is no distraction in the team, that will be a very big advantage for the team. Secondly, if they can prepare ahead of time, I am sure they can get the best out of the players because we have some of the best strikers in Europe right now. Take a look at Victor Boniface in Germany, Terem Moffi in France, Osimhen in Italy, and even in Belgium we have very good players there. On the flanks, we have Moses Simon, who is also doing very well. All we need is a coach who is going to blend them because individually we are top, but the coach needs to make them work together to form a formidable team that can represent the nation. If that happens,I am not afraid and I believe that the trophy can return to Nigeria. “

But Udeze expressed doubts about the Super Eagles’ chances

“The AFCON is an open competition. The Super Eagles have launched their campaign, ‘Let’s do it again,’ and I think they can do it again.

“We have the players to achieve that, but currently, we lack the team. The coach needs to blend these players