Port Harcourt-born, former professional footballer, George Abbey, has ruled out the chances of the Super Eagles winning the upcoming 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament.
Abbey believes that Nigeria is not ready to add to its AFCON title winnings with the current group of players in the squad.
Super Eagles are aiming to secure their fourth AFCON title at the 34th edition, which is scheduled to take place in Ivory Coast early next year. They previously won the tournament in 1980 on home soil, the 1994 edition in Tunisia, and the 2013 finals in South Africa.
Recently, the three-time AFCON champions adopted the slogan ‘Let’s Do It Again’ as they strive for another title in Ivory Coast.
However, despite their rallying cry, Abbey, who made 18 appearances for the Eagles and was part of the squad that won bronze at the 2004 edition in Tunisia, stated that Jose Peseiro‘s team has failed to live up to expectations in their recent matches, despite ending their 15-game winless streak in friendly games.
The former Crewe Alexandra defender believes that the current Eagles squad is not strong enough to compete for the title in Ivory Coast, even with Vincent Enyeama in goal.
The Eagles’ goalkeeping worries resurfaced again when Francis Uzoho, who returned to the squad after missing the last game due to suspension, committed howlers in the Eagles friendlies against Saudi Arabia and Mozambique – a display which has left fans with concerns as the AFCON tournament approaches.
“We are patriotic as a country, we forget to check the present weather forecast,” The PUNCH quoted Abbey saying.
He added: “This current team is not as strong as our 2013 squad, and in my opinion, that team overachieved based on the team they were up against.
“Even if we magically produce a prime Vincent Enyeama and put him behind this team, I still wouldn’t back us to win the AFCON. I hope they prove me wrong, but I doubt they will.”
The Super Eagles of Nigeria are drawn against hosts Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau in the first round of the delayed 2023 AFCON in January 2024.
