Former Nigeria star pessimistic about Super Eagles' AFCON chances

The football veteran attributed this pessimistic outlook to what he described as the team's inadequate preparation.

In an exclusive interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, Akanni voiced his concerns with the tournament kicking off in just under two weeks, scheduled to run from 13 January to 11 February 2024.

As a member of the bronze medal-winning U-20 1985 FIFA World Youth Championship team, Akanni brings a wealth of experience and insight into the challenges facing the Super Eagles.

"My expectations are same whenever Super Eagles play, they have become very unreliable. So, I won't expect much from them because I don't want to be disappointed," he said.

"Winning AFCON will be a miracle for Nigeria. It will be presumptuous of me to expect Super Eagles to come out tops at the championship.

"One of the elements of a team is predictability, I can't predict them because I don't know their pedigree.

"I believe I'm not the only one that feels this way about the team, a lot needs to be worked on in the midfield, defence and goalkeeping departments of the team."

Akanni pointed out that the team's management should have considered including some home-based players in their roster.

This strategic move, according to the football pundit, could have bolstered the squad's overall performance and addressed the concerns surrounding their level of readiness for the prestigious continental tournament.

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