By Adadareporters
Sports cast guru Frank Idemudia Alapa, popularly called BigID, says the Super Eagles of Nigeria are not favourite to win the 2024 African Nations Cup. He said such propagation ‘is a scam’.
Alapa, in an interview, said despite Nigeria having the talents, Coach Jose Peseiro has not established game plans and tactics to place Nigeria where it belongs.
He said, “We just believe that Nigeria will win the Nations Cup because we have Victor Osimhen who is the African Footballer of the Year. If that happens, I’ll be very glad.
“But it has been the same problem that we always have. We have had three Nations Cups but never built on our successes. Our successes have always been accidental.
“The Nigeria Football Federation and Coach Peseiro are trying to hoodwink Nigerians to believe that by miracles, we’ll win the cup, beating Senegal, hosts Ivory Coast, Morocco, Egypt and Algeria.
“We are not asking how prepared is Peseiro. What are his game plans? What method does he play, and his plan A, B, and C? Nigeria can’t be the favourite.”
Nigeria had Sunday played 1-1 draw against Equitorial Guinea. Nigeria came into the match beaming with some confidence with African Footballer of The Year, Victor Osimhen, leading the attack.
Despite injuries to Victor Boniface, Wilfred Ndidi, Kelechi Iheanacho and Sadiq Umar, they began the match in a spritely manner with Victor Oshimhen in the 4th-minute shooting wide after a mistake from Equatorial Guinea’s keeper.
Stanley Nwabali was preferred to Francis Uzoho in goal after the latter had come under heavy criticism of late.
Peserios’s men kept the momentum going and the Napoli forward came close again after the opposition goalkeeper parried a low shot but the linesman raised the flag to rule him off.
The Elephants would maintain their discipline at the back and stun Nigeria in the 37th minute courtesy of Iban Salvador. who calmly found the back of the net with a brilliant finish beating Stanley Nwabali. Super Eagles would equalised almost immediately after Alex Iwobi found Osimhen with a cross to level the match.
