AFCON Qualifiers: Ex-Internationals Warn S’ Eagles Not To Underestimate Opponents

Ex-internationals Edema Fuludu, Ike Shorunmu and Godwin Okpara admitted the Super Eagles were drawn in an easy qualifying group for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast but need not underestimate their opponents.
Nigeria were drawn in Group A alongside Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau and Sao Tome and Principe at the draw ceremony, which took place in Johannesburg on Tuesday and conducted by CAF Director of Competitions Nigerian Samson Adamu and assisted by African legends Lucas Radebe and Solomon Kalou.
However, there’s a disciplinary procedure involving Sao Tome and Mauritius and the winner of this petition will now feature in the qualifiers.
The first sets of matches are billed to resume in June, while the competition will be held in Ivory Coast from June 23 to July 23, 2023.
Reacting to the draw, 1994 AFCON winner, Fuludu urged the Nigeria Football Federation to ensure the team had good preparations ahead of the qualifiers, warning that there were no longer minnows in African football.
“There are no easy countries now, if you do not take the games seriously, they will shock you, even at home. It is a tricky draw and we need to be prepared from day one, to avoid permutations. We must get our points from the beginning and prepare very well,” Fuludu told Tidesports source.