Former African Footballer of the Year and 1994 Africa Cup of Nations winner, Emmanuel Amuneke, has disclosed that Super Eagles of Nigeria can win her long-awaited fourth continental football title if coach Jose Peseiro make the team play collectively.
According to the Nation, Amuneke, who scored the brace in the 2-1 defeat of Zambia in the 1994 Final match, said the Nigerian side must not be carried away as they are rated as one of the favourites but they need to be a functional unit.
Nigeria has been drawn in a tricky Group A along with hosts Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea Bissau for 2024 delayed 2023 AFCON and Amuneke reckoned that the Super Eagles cannot adopt a fits and starts approach if they were to conquer the continent yet again.
Winners in 1980, 1994 and 2013, the Super Eagles have not been at their best lately despite the depth of talents at the disposal of coach Peseiro.
Amuneke said, “I think the AFCON draw should be a wake -up call to the Super Eagles because being grouped along with the hosts, the Elephants of cote d’Ivoire, means they have to be at their best in order to qualify to the next stage of the competition,”
“Nobody can fault the quality of players in the Super Eagles but what is their level of resistance in the face of difficulties and what is the level of their tactical play as a team because football at this level is not about individuals.”
The former Barcelona winger stated that the Super Eagles can win the forthcoming AFCON in Cote D’Ivoire and rule the continent again but they must be ready to put in their best and play as a team.
“We can’t be too emotional going into the AFCON thinking we are one of the favourites,” noted Amuneke who took Tanzania to the 2019 edition in Egypt.
“The AFCON has never been a child’s play and it’s not a question of having the best individual players but can our players rise to the occasion?
“Of course, the Super Eagles can win the AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire but they must be ready to ride their luck by fighting collectively as a team.
“But they can’t underestimate both Equatorial Guinea and Guinea Bissau as such, our preparation for the AFCON must be holistic and systematic ,” he added.
