AFCON 2023: Odegbami Predicts Easy Victory For Super Eagles Over Cameroon
As the Super Eagles continue to jerk and stutter in the African Cup of Nations, the last 16 pairing between the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, and Nigeria is raising palpable fears and concerns from both countries’ fans.
The meeting of the arch-rivals and Africa’s heavyweights, no doubt, has set the debate on where the pendulum of victory will swing.
Having been pestered with calls and messages from worried fans our correspondent took their messages to a true legend of the African game, Segun ‘Mathematical Odegbami” who is in Abidjan and he proclaimed that the game with Cameroon will be Super Eagles’ easiest game in the tournament.
Nigeria booked their place in the round of 16 on Monday after a 1-0 win over Guinea-Bissau in their last group game. Equatorial Guinea’s shock 4-0 rout of hosts Ivory Coast left Nigeria second in the group, as they eventually set up a date with their arch-rivals.
The Indomitable Lions fought back with two goals in the last five minutes to beat Gambia in arguably the match of the tournament so far and advanced as runners-up in Group C on Tuesday. Cameroon clinched their place in the knockout stage because they scored more goals than Guinea, who lost 2-0 to group winner Senegal in the other Group C game.
‘’I can tell you without blinking that this game against Cameroon will be our easiest game’’, Odegbami said as he ate dinner in his hotel.
“It is not going to be Cameroon’s usual brutal football. No. It’s going to be a free-flowing game on a typically good pitch. And that’s where our boys will catch them’’, he said his eyes lightening up as he nibbled on his food.
Odegbami said that the bad pitch of Alassane Ouattara stadium coupled with the apprehension of a first match was what affected the Super Eagles especially Victor Osimhen in their 1-1 draw with Equatorial Guinea. ‘’You can see that the quality has improved with their other matches. The Eagles have settled down. We’ll beat them’’, he said repeatedly.
Reminded that the Eagles have not been imposing and playing with flair, Odegbami who was the top scorer of the 1980 Nations Cup agreed that the game was not going to be friendly. “It’s going to be a war. There’s not going to be any easy game, especially in the knockout stages. They all know that there’s no chance to correct your mistakes in the knockout matches. Our guys have what it takes and they have an edge over Cameroon in this game’’.
Odegbami, an incurable optimist once it comes to games involving Nigeria does not see any mountain the team cannot climb. “I have unflagging confidence that this team will do it again. I have been saying it for some weeks now and the belief is getting stronger’’, he maintained.
The meeting of the arch-rivals is set for 9 pm Nigerian time on Saturday at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium, Abidjan.
