Eyes On Eagles, Eguavoen As Africa Cup Of Nations Begin
The 33rd Africa Cup of Nations will begin in Cameroun Sunday after several moves by some European clubs to frustrate the tournament.
The competition, which is the biggest gathering of African football stars, is holding against the backdrop of protest against its timing, which led to the refusal by some clubs to release players and how the host country, Cameroun, will curtain the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic from spreading. There is also security concerns over conflict in the country’s Anglophone regions over the yeas.
Cameroun hosted the women’s version of the competition in 2016 to test run some of the newly built facilities for the men’s tournament, which was originally scheduled for 2019. But the Confederation of African Football (CAF) stripped Cameroun of the honour, as the county was not ready. The 2019 AFCON, which was 32nd edition, eventually took place in Egypt.
Now, all the teams participating in the 33rd edition have settled down in their respective venues in Cameroun waiting for tomorrow’s opening match between the host, Indomitable Lions, and Stallions of Burkina Faso.
The Lions of Teranga, as the Senegalese national team is known, is Africa’s top-ranked side, and is seen as the team to beat alongside reigning champions, Algeria.
However, for some African football fans, the focus will be on the Super Eagles of Nigeria, which is one of West Africa’s team in the tournament.
The Super Eagles, as well as Black Stars of Ghana and Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire are all past winners looking up to this tournament in Cameroun with high hopes, but have not been convincing of late.
Ever since Nigeria fired coach Gernot Rohr a few months ago, the focus of many football analysts have shifted to the Super Eagles, particularly on how the interim boss, Augustine Eguavoen, will turn things around in Cameroun.
In sacking Rohr, the NFF said it was unhappy with the team’s form despite the fact they won their World Cup qualifying group. Rohr is now history.
The absence of some key players in the Super Eagles’ squad notwithstanding, Eguavoen says the technical crew would inject creativity into the team to surpass their foes, beginning with Tuesday’s opening match against seven times champions, Pharaohs of Egypt.
Before he departed Abuja on Wednesday for Garoua, venue of their Group matches, Eguavoen, who led the Super Eagles to a bronze medal finish at Egypt 2006, stated that the dream of clinching fourth AFCON title in history by the Nigerian football is achievable despite parading a team, which many fans feel posses depth creative skills.
Though, Eguavoen admitted that the biggest challenge confronting the Super Eagles is the near total absence of a creative play in the middle, but assured that the technical crew under his watch will improve on it.
He is banking on CSKA Moscow striker, Chidera Ejike, as the magic wand to change the creative misfortunes of his team, when hostilities begin in Garoua.
Eguavoen is not putting his eggs in one basket. He stated that in case the CSKA Moscow wonder kid fails to live up to the huge challenge on his shoulder, there are other available options that could be exploited to breath creativity into the team.
The Super Eagles, who also have Guinea Bissau and Sudan as opponent in Group D, left for Cameroun on Wednesday without team captain, Ahmed Musa. He missed the team’s last training inside the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, on Wednesday after losing a family member.
The Fatih Karagumruk of Turkey striker was given permission to leave the team’s camp to be with family members. He is expected to join them in Garoua.
Another striker, Odion Ighalo, was eventually left out by coach Eguavoen following the refusal of his Saudi Arabian club, Al-Shabab, to release him.
A clause in the contract he signed with the club, which indicated that he was no longer active internationally for Nigeria, may have prevented him from participating in the tournament.
Before then, Emmanuel Dennis of Watford FC and Victor Osimhen of Napoli were ruled out of the team’s participation in Cameroun.
While Watford blocked Dennis from participating at the AFCON, Osimhen pulled out after doctors advised him not to rush his comeback from a fatal facial injury he suffered while playing for Napoli in the Italian Serie A. His club also claimed that Osimhen tested positive to COVID-19.
Osimhen was replaced with Henry Onyekuru, while the exclusion of Cyprus–based Abdullahi Shehu made way right back Tyrone Ebuehi, now with Venezia in the Italian Serie A. England–based Oluwasemilogo Ajayi returns for injured Leon Balogun.
