AFCON 2023 Begins
FOR the next four weeks, this page will be dedicated to special reports on the African Cup of Nations, AFCON 2023. Th e biggest and most followed single sports event on the economically, socially, and even diplomatiAfrican continent kicks off today in the West cally.
African countr y of Cote D’ivoire. It is another exciting world to explore, illumiIt is referred to as ‘ AFCON 2023’ even a s it nating AFCON 2023’ s uniqueness instories of holds in 2024 because it was supposed to Cote D’ivoire that are the history of the counhave taken place in 2023 but was postponed. try beneath the football exterior.
The Confederation of African Football, CAF, I am, therefore, observing AFCON 2023 retained the official title in order not to disthrough very experienced eyes. I will tell the tort the biennial arrangement. The next story beyond the football that everyone will, championship will take place in the summer of course, religiously follow on television, of 2025. radio and online, starting with a roadshow. For the first time, the championship will have an expanded number of 24 African countries that will assemble to celebrate friendship and the greatest single sports event on the African continent. There will be 52 matches in all showcasing the best football on the continent. The championship started in 1963 and this is the 34th edition.
Beyond Football
Football is what is projected on t he surface. Most attention is rivetied on the best players, exciting matches and legendar y teams. But beneath all of that, to more discerning minds, is a whole planet of other exciting events, people and places that equally define the people of the environment - culturally ,
Nigeria can win AFCON 2023
This is how!
A tree will have to make a forest. Victor Osimhen can ( and will) make a big difference to the fortunes of the Super Eagles at AFCON 2023.
That’s a big statement because he has not made the sort of impact when he plays for Nigeria as he regularly does playing for his clubside Napoli in Italy.
Cconsidering how poorly the Eagles have been playing immediately preceding the start of this championship, the pressure of too- high an expectation may not affect them. That’s what happened when the team went to Atlanta in 1996, after appalling pre
Olympics matc hes. They went on to win the country’s greatest football achievement to date – the Gold Medal of the Atlanta Olympic Games.
When Nigerian teams have their backs against the wall, they fight back. AFCON ‘ 23 provides another platform to demonstrate that myth.
Forget about the coach. He will not add any - thing to the team. He will only take away with his poor tactics and inability to deplo y the players he has well enough.
He has Victor Osimhen, the best striker in Africa at the moment, as his trump card. Osimhen badly needs a coach that knows his onions now. He must be his own coach and must play deliberately to conserve his energy by doing less of unproductive runs, and more of what he does best – burying the ball behind goalkeepers. In the Nigerian team, he does too much unproductive running; back to defend, to collect the ball and turn before running at defen ders and so on. That’s why he does not do well enough in the Eagles team.
He should conserve his energ y and sharpness for critical times and dangerous areas of
opposing defences where he assets are most needed, his heading and shooting skills, his quickness and power. He should add to these calmness, concentration and confidence.
Simply put, take away some of his defensive roles, let him focus on running at spaces nd behind defenders to receive passes, and to concentrate on finishing clinically in front of goal.
I shall not go into other technical matters in order not to spoil the appetite of Nigerians with how poorly a a squad of great individual players is playing disjointed and unorganised football.
Add a few other simple organisation strategies to the above and I see Nigeria struggle a bit through the group matches with two wins and a draw that will keep them in Abidjan, a good win in the round of 16, and then tougher but successful matches to the finals.
All of this requires adoption of a simple strategy for the team, playing with confidence and without being in a hurry, not rushing blindly to score goals and leaving yawns in their own defences.
The Super Eagles may ssurprise even themselves, with Victor Osimhen playing the key role of delivering the ‘ poison’.
In his case, one tree will make all the difference!