AFCON 2023 qualifiers: Expectations are high as Super Eagles take on Sierra Leone
On Wednesday, the Super Eagles camp was sold out. All players invited for Sunday's Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sierra Leone have arrived and are training.
That means Napoli's Victor Osimhen, who coached the Serie A side to their first Scudetto in 33 years, is set to leave. Just like Taiwo Awoniyi, who single-handedly saved Nottingham Forest from relegation from the Premier League.
They will be expected to score the goals that will bring down the Leone Stars.
"I think Victor Osimhen, Alex Iwobi and Taiwo Awoniyi will definitely shine.
“The divine Nwachukwu too. He will surprise people if he gets enough playing time. I'm sure of that,” Clinton McDubus, a top football analyst and podcaster, told DAILY POST.
For Nigeria, everything is at stake.
Guinea-Bissau top Group A after beating Sao Tome & Principe 1-0.
The win takes them to 10 points after five games with a point lead over Jose Peseiro's men.
They will confirm a place for their fourth consecutive AFCON if Sierra Leone fail to beat Nigeria in the other group game on Sunday.
This poses a challenge for Nigerian players, who have been accused in the past of not performing at their best in the green-white-green.
According to McDubus, it's not that simple.
"A lot of things make it harder to perform in national team football - less time training together to build chemistry on the pitch compared to club football, more rigid systems due to demands of knockout/tournament football, players have to adapt quickly to unfamiliar systems and teammates, among other things,” he explains.
"In the case of Nigeria, there is also the lack of a defined playing philosophy, which often leads to too much tinkering.
"On the part of the players, the only real motivation to give their all for the Nigerian national team is passion for the country.
"It's often not as rewarding for a player's career as it is for the performance at their clubs, where they are well paid and injuries are handled more professionally. Going the extra mile for the national team involves risk, and players can choose to give only the bare minimum and avoid those risks,” he added.
However, he expects that with most European leagues on hiatus, it might be time to see the best of Peseiro's side.
"With the end of the European season, players will want to sign on a high note, without these considerations holding them back.
"We should definitely see them at their best and most devastating," adds McDubus.
On Wednesday, the Super Eagles camp was sold out. All players invited for Sunday's Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sierra Leone have arrived and are training.
That means Napoli's Victor Osimhen, who coached the Serie A side to their first Scudetto in 33 years, is set to leave. Just like Taiwo Awoniyi, who single-handedly saved Nottingham Forest from relegation from the Premier League.
They will be expected to score the goals that will bring down the Leone Stars.
"I think Victor Osimhen, Alex Iwobi and Taiwo Awoniyi will definitely shine.
“The divine Nwachukwu too. He will surprise people if he gets enough playing time. I'm sure of that,” Clinton McDubus, a top football analyst and podcaster, told DAILY POST.
For Nigeria, everything is at stake.
Guinea-Bissau top Group A after beating Sao Tome & Principe 1-0.
The win takes them to 10 points after five games with a point lead over Jose Peseiro's men.
They will confirm a place for their fourth consecutive AFCON if Sierra Leone fail to beat Nigeria in the other group game on Sunday.
This poses a challenge for Nigerian players, who have been accused in the past of not performing at their best in the green-white-green.
According to McDubus, it's not that simple.
"A lot of things make it harder to perform in national team football - less time training together to build chemistry on the pitch compared to club football, more rigid systems due to demands of knockout/tournament football, players have to adapt quickly to unfamiliar systems and teammates, among other things,” he explains.
"In the case of Nigeria, there is also the lack of a defined playing philosophy, which often leads to too much tinkering.
"On the part of the players, the only real motivation to give their all for the Nigerian national team is passion for the country.
"It's often not as rewarding for a player's career as it is for the performance at their clubs, where they are well paid and injuries are handled more professionally. Going the extra mile for the national team involves risk, and players can choose to give only the bare minimum and avoid those risks,” he added.
However, he expects that with most European leagues on hiatus, it might be time to see the best of Peseiro's side.
"With the end of the European season, players will want to sign on a high note, without these considerations holding them back.
"We should definitely see them at their best and most devastating," adds McDubus.
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