Leicester City Duo Could Be Key to Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations Chances

Published: November 15, 2021

Nigeria have won the Africa Cup of Nations three times - their successes came in 1980, 1994 and 2013. They will be hoping to add a fourth success in 2022.

Their chances of victory this year could come down to how well Leicester City’s Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi perform.

The Foxes duo have been excellent for their club side in the Premier League over the last couple of years. Brendan Rodgers’ side are on course for another fantastic campaign.

They finished the 2020/21 season in fifth place which saw them qualify into the Europa League.

Leicester, with the Nigerian pair of Iheanacho and Ndidi at the top of their games, will be hoping they can qualify for the Champions League this season.

Their upcoming contest against Chelsea is going to be huge for them. They are +375 in the Leicester v Chelsea betting to cause a surprise in that tie against the league leaders.

Expect to see Leicester as one of the most popular Premier League betting tips when the league resumes.

They have lost just one of their last six games in the competition, with their 4-2 over Manchester United being the pick of their results in that period.

The Premier League stars are not just important for their club, Nigeria rely heavily on them.

The experience these two players have of being involved in huge games in their domestic league and in Europe means they will know what to expect at the Africa Cup of Nations in January.

Nigeria have been handed a tough draw as they will face Egypt, Sudan and Guinea-Bissau in the group stage. Egypt have won this competition a record seven times and were also runners-up in 2017, so they should be tough opponents.

Iheanacho Among the Goals in World Cup Qualifiers

Striker Iheanacho found the back of the net twice for Nigeria during a World Cup qualifier against Liberia back in September.

He was responsible for both of his team’s goals in that 2-0 success at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos.

Iheanacho has scored 11 goals in 37 games for his country. He is likely to partner Napoli’s Victor Osimhen in Cameroon in January. That will be one of the strongest strike partnerships at the tournament.

Defensive midfielder Ndidi has established himself as one of the best players in his position in the Premier League and Europe.

He has been at the club since 2016 and last season he was part of the Foxes’ FA Cup winning team.

Ndidi recently picked up his 42th cap for Nigeria. He will sit in front of the team’s defense at the Africa Cup of Nations to add an extra layer of protection.

The Leicester man has been linked with a move to Real Madrid and Manchester United recently so he will be keen to have a big tournament for his country.

The Africa Cup of Nations begins on January 9 and the final is scheduled for February 6. Twenty-four teams will be competing for the title in the 33rd edition of the tournament.

Ifeanyi