Frank Onyeka, a midfielder for the Super Eagles, has issued a warning to his colleagues that when the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations begins in Ivory Coast next year, they need to be ready both physically and emotionally to take on the rest of Africa, according to a report.
Ivory Coast will host the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations from January, 13 to February 11, 2024. Nigeria has been paired with the host, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, and Ivory Coast. The last three pulled off a few surprises to get to the quarterfinals in the previous tournament in Cameroon.
Even though the Eagles’ supporters were unhappy that they drew their first two 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Zimbabwe in November, Onyeka thinks that rallying the supporters in front of the competition will give the squad more confidence. He said that the squad knew just how to win the competition in Ivory Coast.
The three-time AFCON champion Eagles were eliminated in the round of 16 in Cameroon, and Onyeka anticipates a challenging job for his Abidjan squad.
The Brentford Midfielder stated, “I know our fans are frustrated because of our performance, but we still need their support ahead of the AFCON.”
“We must take lessons from the draws we had in our past two games.
“We need to psychologically and physically prepare ourselves before the AFCON because African sides are difficult to play against. We’re aware of the requirements to win the AFCON.
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The Eagles’ most recent AFCON victory came in South Africa a decade ago, as they triumphed against Ivory Coast in the quarterfinals.
After missing out on qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, hosts Ivory Coast are vying for a third AFCON title. When Ivory Coast held the event 39 years ago, the Eagles were finalists.
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