The former captain of the Super Eagles Mikel Obi has said the Nigerian national team must win the forthcoming African Cup of Nations (AFCON) to restore the glory of the country.
According to the ex-Chelsea midfielder, the current Super Eagles team boasts an impressive array of stars, making them one of the favourites to win the title.
Speaking to CAF media, Mikel said that if Nigeria can win the tournament again, it would be a great achievement for the country and the players.
” Nigeria remains a favourite anytime we go to the tournament, everyone knows that but maybe we are not a massive favourite this time.
“If we can do it again, it will be a massive achievement for us, which is what the country needs for now.
“We need to get our football back to where it should and by winning this tournament, our football will go back to where it should be”, he said.
Mikel also compared the current Super Eagles squad to the team that won the competition in 2013, noting that the game of football has changed a lot since then. He expressed hope that the young team would perform well in the tournament.
“There is a lot of difference, isn’t it? Football has changed from ten years ago and dogmatically, it has really changed. I think this group of players now are a very young team,” Mikel told CAF’s Media.
“They play a totally different brand of football, so let’s hope we can really see a good performance by us, the Nigerian team.”
The Super Eagles have been drawn in Group A of AFCON alongside the Elephants, Equatorial Guinea, and Guinea Bissau. Nigeria last won the tournament in 2013, and the current coach, Jose Peseiro, has been given an ultimatum to at least get to the semifinals or be fired.
