… Moffi Due In Camp Today
THE atmosphere in the Super Eagles Abidjan campsite was alive Saturday morning with the arrival of Leicester City man Kekechi Iheanacho and Paul Onuachu, two prominent strikers that will ameliorate Jose Paseiro’s attacking worries.
What is not clear is whether or not the duo will feature in today’s opening match against Equatorial Guinea.
Terem Moffi is expected to arrive in camp in the morning today, as earlier reported by globalsports.com, after featuring for OGC Nice in Saturday night’s Ligue 1 Game Week 18 tie against Stade Rennais FC starting at 21:00 at Roazhon Park, Rennes.
While Iheanacho’s fitness level remains hazy, Onuachu and Moffi have been playing consistently for their respective clubs and could be thrown into the action without worrying.
Winners in 1980, 1994, and 2013, Nigeria are lodged in Group A alongside host Cote D’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau.
Jose Paseiro’s team will kick-start their campaign today against Equatorial Guinea, starting at 14:00 at Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan, take on Cote D’Ivoire for their second game at the same venue four days later, and round off preliminary assignments on 22 January against Guinea-Bissau at Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium, Abidjan.
Meanwhile, the Super Eagles are getting support from all quarters in their quest for a fourth title at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, which kicked off Saturday night in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire.
Despite the team being poor in form, many Nigerians expect the Ahmed Musa-led team to up the ante, compete favourably, and possibly lift the trophy.
Such is the belief of Efe Ambrose, a former Nigeria defender who was a member of the triumphant team at the 2013 edition in South Africa.
The 35-year-old strongly believes in the ability of the current team to go all the way, and on Saturday he took to his Instagram account to psyche them up in a post.
“Thank you, Lord, for doing it in 2013 by becoming the Africa Champions. We can do it again in 2024! Go Super Eagles of Nigeria,” stated the King of the South Centre Back who represented Nigeria at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup, the Summer Olympics, and the FIFA World Cup, scoring four goals in 51 outings with the Super Eagles from 2008–2016.
The 2023 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations is taking place in Cote d’Ivoire, the second time and the first time the West African country has played host to the continent since 1984.
The tournament will run from January 13 to February 11 at eight venues and five host cities, with 24 teams participating.
Eighteen-Eleven Media