Ex-Barcelona star insists Nigeria have enough good players to win AFCON 2021

Former Barcelona star Emmanuel Amuneke has insisted that Nigeria have enough good players in their ranks to win the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations.

Liverpool star Mohamed Salah (Egypt), Manchester City's Riyad Mahrez (Algeria) and Liverpool winger Sadio Mane (Senegal) are widely regarded as the top three African players at the moment and are expected to grace the tournament in Cameroon.

Amuneke believes that former World Cup winners at U17 level such as Victor Osimhen, Kelechi Iheanacho and Samuel Chukwueze have what it takes to lead the Super Eagles to glory at the Africa Cup of Nations if they bring their club form to the national team.

"We have players, there is no doubt about it and the good thing is that most of those players that came from the youth level to the senior level are doing very well in their respective clubs," Amuneke said.

"Like I said club football is different from national football. National football you don't have enough time like club level to prepare these players but it all depends on where you're coming on board as a coach.

"We have to believe in our players, players in question they need to believe in themselves, they need to tell themselves they want to win the AFCON.

"The coach wants to win the AFCON, no coach goes to any tournament and doesn't want to win it, everybody wants to win the tournament even the least team that comes to the AFCON want to win but it all depends on the preparations of the team, the readiness of the team from individual point of view."

An Africa Cup of Nations winner with Nigeria in 1994, Amuneke thinks the Super Eagles can show their class at the AFCON provided the key players in the squad are fit amid doubts over the availability of Osimhen and Racing Genk goal machine Paul Onuachu.

He added : "My prayer is that our key players (are fit), we have seen Osimhen unfortunately the injury and I am reading some other player Paul Onuachu sustained an injury but we just pray that our key players will be in a good shape.

"When you have all your key players that will afford you the possibility to be in a position to compete."

Three-time African champions Nigeria will open group play at the AFCON against Egypt on January 11 followed by games against dark horses Sudan (Jan 15) and Guinea-Bissau (Jan 19).

Ifeanyi Emmanuel