Nigeria team B head coach, Daniel Ogunmodede fancies the home-based Super Eagles’ chances of victory at next year’s African Nations Championship.
The Super Eagles B-team secured qualification for the showpiece event after defeating fierce rivals and neighbors Ghana, 3-1 at the Godswill Akpabio stadium in Uyo, after a goalless draw in Accra in the first leg. They won 3-1 on aggregate as they ended a six-year absence from the competition.
The event which is scheduled to hold from the 1st till 28th of February 2025, will be the first to be hosted in three countries with Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda expected to be the hosts.
“We are happy to have given Nigerians a good gift for this yuletide period,” Ogunmodede said on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) website.
“But we will not over-celebrate this achievement and forget the crux of the matter. We will work hard so that we can contend very well for the trophy at the finals in February.”
Nigeria are yet to win the competition in seven editions with their best finish being a second-placed finish in 2018 when they were beaten 4-0 in the final by hosts Morocco.
They also achieved a third-placed finish in the 2014 tournament hosted by South Africa. They lost on penalties to the Black Stars of Ghana in the semifinals before defeating Zimbabwe in the third-placed match to clinch the bronze medal.
The Home Eagles are unseeded for the draws for the competition which is expected to take place on the 31st on December, 2024.
Shina Oludare is a distinguished sports journalist and managing editor, renowned for his comprehensive coverage of African football. His dedication to elevating African sports on the global stage has earned him widespread respect, along with numerous accolades for his contributions. A graduate of the LaLiga Business School in Madrid, Oludare’s passion for sports and his influential work in African football journalism have established him as a leading figure in the industry.
