AFCON 2023: Mikel Obi speaks on Nigeria’s chances in Ivory Coast

Former Nigerian international Mikel Obi has shared his thoughts ahead of the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations billed to start in Ivory Coast next January.

Nigeria are drawn in the dicey Group A alongside Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Bissau, and host Ivory Coast.

Following recent poor performances from the Super Eagles, there are concerns over their chances at the continental showpiece.

Mikel, who was part of the squad that won the tournament in 2013, disclosed that the current team plays a totally different kind of football.

According to him, the world has witnessed significant change in the last decade, and the present crop of players in the Nigerian national team are much younger.

The ex-Chelsea defensive midfielder is optimistic that Jose Peseiro’s boys can give fans something to be proud of when the tournament kicks off.

Mikel told CAF Media via Footballlive:

“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.

“They play a totally different brand of football, so let’s hope we can really see good performance by us, the Nigerian team.”

Ahmed Musa calls for more experienced players

Meanwhile, Ahmed Musa has lamented the lack of enough experienced players in the current Super Eagles squad as they continue to struggle to get results.

The team captain, who missed out on the November matches, lamented that some fans have mismanaged their passion for the national team, causing some big stars to leave.

He also called on the inclusion of more experienced players in the Nigerian team, in a bid to inspire better performances from the younger players.