'The final will be between CIV and Nigeria' - Tom Saintfiet predicts West African team will win 2023 AFCON

Gambia's national team coach Tom Saintfiet has explained why he thinks a West African nation will win the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Belgian has predicted that the host country Ivory Coast will face the Super Eagles in the AFCON showpiece scheduled to hold at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan on February 11.

Nigeria and Ivory Coast have been drawn in Group A which also includes Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau. 

In one of the standout fixtures of the upcoming tournament, the Elephants and Super Eagles will do battle at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan on January 18, 2024.

If both teams finish in first and second place in Group A, they will avoid facing each other until the final or third place playoff. 

Tom Saintfiet believes North African countries are at a disadvantage when playing in West Africa due to the playing conditions in terms of weather, humidity and stadiums. 

On his favourites to win the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, Tom Saintfiet said to Al-Mehwar channel: "The Egyptian national team has a very strong team, and it is a candidate to win the title, just like Algeria, Morocco, and even Tunisia.

"But I do not think that a team from North Africa will win the title in West Africa because the humidity is high, as is the temperature, and the stadium is different and the conditions are different."

He continued: "I believe that a team from West Africa will win this title. I see Senegal as always strong, as well as Mali, which can be a strong team, but my opinion is that the final will be between Côte d'Ivoire and Nigeria.

"For me, Nigeria is very strong, but Côte d’Ivoire is strong and plays on its home soil, and so does the Malian national team."

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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