Former Nigerian defender, George Abbey, has expressed skepticism about the Super Eagles’ chances of winning the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations tournament with the current squad.
The Super Eagles, Nigeria’s national football team, are vying for their fourth AFCON title at the 34th edition of the competition scheduled to take place in Ivory Coast early next year.
Nigeria previously claimed the title in 1980 on home soil, in 1994 in Tunisia, and in 2013 in South Africa.
Despite their stated goal and battle cry of ‘Let’s Do It Again,’ George Abbey, who earned 18 international caps and was part of the Eagles squad that secured a bronze medal at the 2004 edition in Tunisia, expressed doubts about the current team’s potential.
Abbey opined that the Super Eagles, led by coach Jose Peseiro, have not demonstrated the strength and performance required to compete for the AFCON title in Ivory Coast, even with the legendary Vincent Enyeama guarding the goal.
Recent concerns surrounding the Super Eagles’ goalkeeping were exacerbated by Francis Uzoho’s display in friendly matches against Saudi Arabia and Mozambique. Uzoho, who returned to the squad after a suspension, made errors that raised questions about the team’s preparedness for the upcoming AFCON tournament.
George Abbey pointed out the need to assess the present condition of the team and emphasized that the current squad is not as formidable as the 2013 team that claimed the title. He acknowledged that the 2013 squad had exceeded expectations, given the competition they faced.
“We are patriotic as a country, we forget to check the present weather forecast,” Abbey stated.
“This current team is not as strong as our 2013 squad and in my opinion that team overachieved based on the team they were up against.
“Even if we magically produce a prime Vincent Enyeama and put him behind this team, I still wouldn’t back us to win the AFCON. I hope they prove me wrong but I doubt they will,” he added.
Nigeria, a three-time African champion, has been drawn into a group with Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau for the initial round of the delayed 2023 AFCON scheduled for January 2024.
