Leader of the Ikeja Football Coaches Council Lagos, Oyebande Babatunde Adeshina, has expressed confidence in the ability of the Nigeria national football team to successfully qualify for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations despite the difficult nature of the qualifying series.
Nigeria was drawn in Group L of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) POMOJA 2027 qualifiers alongside Madagascar national football team, Tanzania national football team, and Guinea-Bissau national football team following the official draw held at the headquarters of the Egyptian Football Association.
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With Tanzania already guaranteed qualification as one of the tournament co-hosts, only one additional team from the group is expected to secure an automatic ticket to the competition.
Speaking in an interview with Sports247Naija, Coach Adeshina maintained that the current quality within the Nigerian squad gives him confidence that the Super Eagles will emerge successfully from the group.
“Nigeria Super Eagles will qualify surely. With the standard of the team we have presently and the coaching crew, I have no fear. We will qualify for sure,” he stated.
Despite his confidence, the Lagos-based football coach admitted that the single qualification slot adds extra pressure to the campaign, especially given the growing competitiveness of African football.
“Although it will come with pressure for Nigeria because there are no underdogs in African football again, and every country also sees the Nigerian team as a threat,” he explained.
Coach Adeshina identified Tanzania as a potentially difficult opponent due to the advantages that come with preparing for the tournament as co-hosts over an extended period.
“Tanzania might likely give us a big fight having been preparing as host country for two years now, but every match is of importance,” he added.
The experienced coach also stressed the need for Nigeria to approach all group matches seriously, particularly away fixtures where African qualifiers are traditionally more difficult.
“Nigeria Super Eagles are ready to face any of the teams, but we must be extra prepared and be careful in our away matches with all the three teams in our group.”
Looking at the technical side of the team, Adeshina highlighted areas he believes require improvement ahead of the qualification campaign and the tournament itself.
“We must surely improve on our attack. Most especially, we need another deadly striker like Osimhen, and we need another creative midfielder as a substitute for Alex Iwobi,” he concluded.
The Super Eagles are expected to begin preparations for the qualifiers later this year as they continue their pursuit of another appearance at Africa’s biggest football tournament.
