Former Nigerian defender Ifeanyi Udeze expressed doubts about the Super Eagles’ chances of winning the upcoming 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, reports.
Udeze acknowledged the potential within the squad but emphasised the lack of a cohesive team structure necessary for triumph.
“The AFCON is an open competition. The Super Eagles have launched their campaign, ‘let’s do it again,’ and I think they can do it again,” Udeze told our correspondent.
“We have the players to achieve that, but currently, we lack the team. The coach needs to blend these players together to form a cohesive team. Right now, we have talented players, but they haven’t gelled as a collective unit,” he stated.
In addition, Udeze urged the Nigerian Football Federation to fulfil its responsibilities by ensuring timely payments of match bonuses for the players and coaching staff.
Despite reservations about the team’s overall structure, Udeze expressed confidence in the attacking prowess of the squad, saying, “We have our strikers doing very well in Europe, I think our attack will be a threat at this AFCON.
“It is an attack that all the teams should be afraid of. I know our attack will be a very big threat, so, I will not say any one person is our biggest strength but I know we have the attack to threaten any team and get our results.”
Jose Peseiro’s squad secured their AFCON ticket convincingly with a 6-0 victory over São Tomé and Príncipe in the last game of the qualifiers, placing them at the top of Group A.
The Super Eagles will prepare in Saudi Arabia before heading to Ivory Coast for the tournament with hopes of giving Nigerian fans a reason to celebrate.
