A Closer Look At Nigeria's Opponents for AFCON 2021

 

The Confederations of African Football (CAF) conducted the draw for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Tuesday August 17  in Yaounde 

The tournament will be hosted by Cameroon and scheduled to kick off  in January 19, 2022.

Here, We takes a look at the Super Eagles of Nigeria opponents in Group D – Egypt, Sudan, and Guinea-Bissau, what to expect from each team, as well as the players to watch closely. .

EGYPT - Nickname: The Pharaohs

AFCON Titles: 8 times African Champions 1957, 1959, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2006, 2008, 2010

Coach: Hossam El Badry

The seven-time Africa Cup of Nations winners are always the top favourites to win the trophy considering their history at the tournament. The Pharaohs will be aiming to lift their 9th AFCON title, but will have to negotiate the group phase first with competition from the Super Eagles of Nigeria, Sudan, and Guinea-Bissau.

Interestingly, Egypt will face Nigeria in the Group D opening fixture on January 11, a game that could possibly decide who tops the group.

Recall that the North African team are among the eight teams that went unbeaten during the qualifying campaigns.

Player To Watch

Mohamed Salah: No doubt, the Liverpool star man has been one of the biggest players in the history of Egyptian football. Salah, who has become a household name both at home and Liverpool, will be hoping to lead his team to the glory old days.

He will definitely be a nightmare for many defenders at the tournament, including the Super Eagles of Nigeria going by his exploits in Europe and the Premier League.

SUDAN -  Nickname: The Falcons of Jediane or The Desert Hawks

Coach: Hubert Velud

 AFCON Titles: Once Champions of Africa, 1970

Sudan’s last impressive performance at the Africa Cup of Nations was in 1970 when the team, against all odds, reached the final and claimed the champions’ crown. But since then, the team has failed to taste from the cup of victory as they always struggled to qualify for the tournament.

Player To Watch

Ramadan Agab: The Al-Merrikh SC striker will be eager to help his team create a major upset in a group that consists of Nigeria, Egypt, Guinea Bissau . Known for his speed, skills, and ability to split defence with his passes, Agab is definitely a player to watch.

GUINEA-BISSAU - Nickname: The Djurtus

Coach: Baciro Cande

AFCON Titles: None

Considered as a dark horse in Group D, Guinea-Bissau will be making their third appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon. The team qualified after edging out Congo 3-0 in their last qualifying fixture.

Guinea-Bissau will be a tough nut to crack considering the fact that they held their own against a high-flying side like Senegal in the same group during the qualifying series. They will give the trio of Nigeria, Egypt, and Sudan a run for their money in the group.

Player To Watch

Jorginho: Jorginho represented Portugal at the youth level before changing allegiance to play for Guinea-Bissau at senior international level. He was part of the Portuguese squad at the 2014 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, appearing in three games – including eight minutes in the final against Germany – for the eventual runners-up.

He played a key part in Guinea-Bissau’s qualification for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations as one of his goals condemned Congo to defeat during the final game of the qualifying series.