AFCON: Equatorial Guinea head coach Juan Micha breaks silence on Nigeria’s chances

Equatorial Guinea head coach Juan Micha tipped the Super Eagles of Nigeria as one of the leading contenders to win the 2023 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire.

The three-time African champions are in the same group as the Nzalang Nacional.

Coach Micha was speaking ahead of the tie with the Super Eagles at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Ebimpe.

He stressed that Nigeria’s Super Eagles, Senegal, Morocco and Egypt are the teams to look out for in the delayed edition of the AFCON 2023.

Juan Micha said, “I think it is difficult to predict because there are Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, and also Senegal, the former champion, Egypt, and Morocco. So I will not predict who will be the champion, but we have to wait.”

The delayed 2023 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will kick off later today, Saturday, with hosts Ivory Coast taking on Guinea-Bissau in the tournament’s opener.

The two-time champions, Ivory Coast, will play against Guinea-Bissau at Abidjan’s 60,000-capacity Alassane Ouattara Stadium, as they hope to make it a third trophy for the nation.

Established in 1957, the AFCON is Africa’s main international football competition.

The Pharaohs of Egypt are the only nation to win the prestigious competition three times consecutively in 2006, 2008, and 2010.

Cameroon is the second most successful team with five wins, followed by Ghana with four, Nigeria with three, and Ivory Coast, Algeria, and the Democratic Republic of Congo with two each.