Watch out for Group D, it promises to be dramatic and interesting.
It is already being dramatic with Guinea Bissau claiming they can cause an upset against Nigeria and Egypt, Sudan says don’t underrate us. Ahmed Musa, Nigeria, says the Pharaohs of Egypt should be afraid of the Super Eagles.
Egypt, the seven-time Afcon champion seems to be the quiet one in this group, but they are silently observing and probably saying to the other teams that the empty vessels make the most noise.
The Super Eagles and the Pharaohs are the favorites to qualify from this group. However, Sudan and Guinea Bissau are not comfortable with the underdog label, and they are ready to make a statement in this edition of Afcon- Group D promises to be dramatic and interesting.
Group D fixtures
Tuesday, 11 January: Nigeria v Egypt- 17.00 GMT, Sudan v Guinea-Bissau- 20.00 GMT
Saturday, 15 January: Nigeria v Sudan- 17.00 GMT, Guinea-Bissau v Egypt- – 20.00 GMT
Wednesday, 19 January: Egypt v Sudan- 17.00 GMT, Guinea-Bissau v Nigeria- 20.00 GMT
Nigeria
The three-time Afcon champion are making their 9th appearance in the Africa cup of nations with the aim to win it for the fourth time. Eguavoen will be the Super Eagles coach at the tournament, while the newly appointed coach, Peserio, travels with Nigeria to Afcon as an observer.
Austin Eguavoen speaking with NFF TV said he is under pressure to win the Afcon title for Nigeria since 2013. However, he is not finding it easy as some of the best players are no longer available for the tournament due to injuries and administrative issues.
Osimhen who was instrumental for Nigeria qualification for the championship won’t be available due to covid. Dennis is another player that will miss out on the championship due to administrative issues. The 2019 Afcon golden boot winner, Ighalo is also out due to administrative issues.
That leaves Eguavoen with no first-choice clinical finisher, so he is considering changing the playing style by opting to play with a false 9. Leon Balogun, Etebo, Abdullahi also do not make it to Cameroon.
With the late changes made in the squad, Nigeria’s success at Afcon hangs in the balance.
However, Nigeria have players that can make the nation proud, the likes of Leicester duo Ndidi, Iheanacho, Musa, Chukwueze. If they can play as a team, they have a chance to win the championship this time after a bronze medal in 2019.
Best Performance- Winners (1980, 1994, 2013)
First Appearance- 1963
Last Appearance – 2019
Appearances- 19
Egypt
Egypt has won the AFCON title seven times, and they will be aiming to increase the number when the 2021 CAF Africa cup of nations gets underway on Sunday in Cameroon.
Covid highlights Egypt’s preparation for the biannual continental championship as the Pharaohs of Egypt were being forced to cancel their training also delayed their flight to the championship. Egypt’s preparation for the tournament, no doubts it’s being threatened.
Egypt lost its respect in football when they crashed out of the round of 16 in the 2019 AFCON.
But under coach Carlos Queiroz, the team is picking up. Proof of that is their performance at the Arab world cup, where they reach the semifinal despite the absence of key players like Liverpool’s Mo Salah and Arsenal midfielder Elneny. The team was able to get to the semifinal.
They could achieve a better result at AFCON with the full squad, but they need to solve the effects of the covid outbreak first.
Best performance- Winners (1957, 1959, 1986, 1998, 2006, 2008, 2010)
First Appearance- 1957
Last Appearance- 2019
Appearances- 25
Sudan
The falcons of Jedaine are making their first appearance in Afcon since 2012. The 1970 Afcon winners had remarkable AFCON qualifiers where they finish second behind Ghana in a group that included South Africa.
They face a more serious challenge at Cameroon, but they say they are up to the task, and they may cause an upset against Nigeria and Egypt- the group favorites.
However, the team had a disastrous outing at the 2021 FIFA ARAB world cup, when they lost all their group games including the heavy loss against Egypt.
That led to the sacking of Hubert Velud and his staff. Burhan Tia was appointed as the new coach. He started work immediately by letting go of the old guards and inviting new players.
Sudan is a founding member of CAF, and they won the championship in 1970, but since then, they have not achieved any success.
Perhaps in Cameroon, Sudan can invoke the 90s Sudanese football spirit and win the title but, they don’t appear as a team that can win it.
Best Performance- Winners (1970)
First Appearance- 1957
Last Appearance- 2012
Appearances- 9
Guinea-Bissau
Mendy, Guinea- Bissau defender, does not see his team as an underdog. He sees the Djurtus as a team that can compete with the best including, Nigeria and Egypt.
But that has not happened in the past three editions where they failed to qualify for the next round. Perhaps they will achieve that this time, but the coach, Baciro Cande, needs to play attacking football and ends this negative football.
Watch out for Guinea-Bissau forward Piqueti, which scores one of the best goals in the 2017 Africa cup of nations against Cameroon. Other players to watch out for includes Alfa Semedo (Vitoria Guimaraes), and Moreto Cassama (Reims).
Best performance: Group stage (2017 and 2019)
First Appearance- 2017
Last Appearance – 2019
Appearances- 3
