.Says emphasis shouldn’t be on Egypt alone
Incumbent Imo FA Chairman, Mazi Amanze Uchegbulam has warned the Super Eagles to wary of Sudan and Guinea Bissau who are the purists’ underdogs in Group D of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations which holds next year in Cameroon.
Bookmakers have tipped Nigeria to qualify alongside the Pharaohs of Egypt from the AFCON group which draw was made last weekend but Uchegbulam who was a former CAF Appeals Committee Vice Chairman told www.dasportstainment247.com that all the four teams are at par before next year’s competition and should all be taken as tough opposition.
“There is no minnow in African football today,” Uchegbulam told www.dasportstainment247.com.
“Every supposed big team must be wary of the small teams because surprise can come.”
The experienced football administrator charged the Super Eagles to approach all the games with seriousness while noting that even though Nigeria and Egypt are tipped to qualify from the group, elements of surprise can set in and it could alter all calculations.
He recalled Djurtus of Guinea Bissau’s last two outings at the AFCON in 2017 and 2019 where they picked a point against Gabon and Benin Republic respectively before they were narrowly edged out in the group stages of both competitions.
Uchegbulam also noted that the Eagles would be ignoring the Falcons of Jediane of Sudan at their peril based on the fact that they have a thriving league with good players and also got to the quarter-final stage the last time they featured at AFCON in 2012 in Equatorial Guinea. They were African Champions in 1970.
“They have to approach every match as seriously as ever. You never can tell the teams that will scale through from the group.
“On paper, you can say Egypt and Nigeria but it may happen. Sudan is a tough opposition with a good league and good players. Guinea Bissau are also an emerging force.
“They tried the last time they were at AFCON. You don’t belittle any team because element surprise can come from them,” he concluded.
