“This Is Our Opportunity”: Mutiu Adepoju Backs Super Eagles for AFCON Title

• Mutiu Adepoju believes Nigeria can win the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations
• Nigeria has announced his final 25-man squad for the forthcoming AFCON
• The Super Eagles are bidding to win a fourth AFCON title in Ivory Coast

Ex-Nigeria international Mutiu Adepoju has approved the Super Eagles' final 25-man list for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and believes the team is good enough to win the title.

Manager Jose Peseiro released Nigeria’s final squad to the competition in Ivory Coast, with top stars like Victor Osimhen, Alex Iwobi and Victor Boniface all making the final cut to the AFCON.

Speaking exclusively to Sports Brief, Adepoju opined that this is an opportunity for Nigeria to lift it’s fourth continental title due to the pedigree of the players Peseiro has selected.

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“I think this is our opportunity. The players are playing very well in their various clubs. Talent is definitely not enough to win the competition, but I believe we have the talent.

“I think there are other factors that can lead a team to win a tournament, which I believe they will do, and I know this is an opportunity for them to win it.”

Nigeria, grouped alongside Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau, last won the competition in 2013 and will be hoping to repeat the same feat when the competition kicks off on January 13.

Eight players to make AFCON debut

Meanwhile, Super Eagles head coach, Jose Peseiro, has included eight debutants in his final 25-man squad for the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, Punch reports.

They are goalkeepers, Stanley Nwabili and Olorunleke Ojo; defenders, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Bruno Onyemaechi, Calvin Bassey and Raphael Onyedika.

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Others are Atalanta winger Ademola Lookman and Bayer Leverkusen striker Victor Boniface.

Kelechi Iheanacho could miss AFCON

Earlier, Sports Brief reported Nigeria could be without striker Kelechi Iheanacho for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations as the Leicester City forward has picked up a muscle injury just weeks before the start of the tournament.

The 27-year-old forward, who only on Friday, December 29 was named in the Super Eagles final 25-man squad for the AFCON, was missing from the Foxes’ squad for the 2-0 win over Cardiff.

Iheanacho picked up the injury in the aftermath of the draw with Ipswich on Boxing Day and manager of Leicester City, Enzo Maresca says if the injury is serious, he won’t be going to the AFCON.