Can Nigeria Fulfill Expectations And Land A Fourth AFCON title In Egypt?

On paper, their first stage opponents following CAF's Group Stage draws are not expected to prove much of a difficulty: it is safe to say that failure to negotiate a group containing two tournament debutants in Burundi and Madagascar, alongside Guinea who have only managed a best result of a runner-up finish as far back as 1976 is at best, a calamitous outing.

While manager, Gernot Rohr has tried as much as he could to downplay his side's chances as favourites all in a bid to shift attention and avoid unnecessary pressure, it is as clear as daylight that Nigeria will try to make the most of the easy preliminary route they have been handed and surely aim for a decent finish in Cairo.

Buoyed by the fact that they have reached the last four of the tournament 14 times in the competition's history and only hosts Egypt with 15 has a better record of qualifying for the semifinals, their is a sense that excuses will hardly be consoled for a bad showing, and on the look of things the Super Eagles are fired up to cut it out with other illustrious opponents, South Africa remain the only continental nation to have beaten Nigeria since Rohr took over the reigns of the national team.

Egypt inspired by their talisman Mohammed Salah are expected to add to their seven honours this time around while Saido Mane and Senegal will equally try to make their case with a strong showing at the rendezvous, not forgetting other heavyweights the likes of Cote D'ivoire, Cameroon, Tunisia, Algeria to mention but a few who are most certainly going to lit up the competition.

Much optimism have continued to build in these parts after the last international break which saw the Eagles record two morale-boosting wins, a 3-1 win in a dead-rubber qualifier and a disciplined lone goal victory over Egypt, thanks to a . record-breaking effort from striker, Paul Onuachu.