AFCON2023: Talk is cheap — Asisat Oshoala counters Yaya Toure's Super Eagles prediction
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Asisat Oshoala disagrees with Yaya Toure's AFCON GROUP A prediction || Image credit: Imago

AFCON2023: Talk is cheap — Asisat Oshoala counters Yaya Toure's Super Eagles prediction

Faruq Ibrahim 16:28 - 28.12.2023

Super Falcons ace Asisat Oshoala disagreed with Yaya Toure's AFCON Group A predictions, which prophesy the Super Eagles doom.

Super Falcons icon and six-time African Women’s Footballer of the Year Asisat Oshoala has gone to the bat for the Super Eagles, following comments made by Manchester City legend Yaya Toure.

What Yaya Toure said

The Nigerian national team will be competing alongside 27 other African teams at the AFCON tournament set to kick off in a few weeks in the western part of the tournament, specifically Ivory Coast.

Jose Peseiro’s team find themselves in Group A following the draws, meaning Nigeria will face the host country, Cote d'Ivoire, along with Guinea Bissau, and Equatorial Guinea. 

The Elephants and the Super Eagles are favourites to safely navigate the group, but when Ivorian legend Yaya Toure was asked, he suggested that the Nigerians would disappoint, as Cote d'Ivoire and Guinea Bissau would be the two nations making it out of the group.

Yaya Gnegneri Toure of Cote d Ivoire (Elfenbeinküste ( Ivory Coast) holds the trophy of Africa Cup of Nations during the awarding ceremony in Bata , Feb. 8, 2015. || Image credit: Imago
Yaya Toure is an African champion Yaya Gnegneri Toure of Cote d Ivoire (Elfenbeinküste ( Ivory Coast) holds the trophy of Africa Cup of Nations during the awarding ceremony in Bata , Feb. 8, 2015. || Image credit: Imago

Oshoala disagrees 

No more than what is expected, the Super Falcons ace, Oshoala, disagreed with the former Barcelona midfielder, as she believes the sheer quality of the Nigerian national team makes them the team to beat.

“Talk is cheap. When we get to the tournament, we will separate the boys from the men,” Oshoala told Brilla FM.

Asisat Oshoala is the most influential Nigerian women’s footballer of 2023
Asisat Oshoala is the most influential Nigerian women’s footballer of 2023

“Why not? We have the almighty Osimhen, the best player in Africa; we have Boniface doing well at club level. I feel like we have a good team; it’s not about individual talent.

“I feel like we have a good team, and we have enough time to build up towards the tournament.”

Meanwhile, speaking to CAFOnline, Mikel highlighted the Super Eagles' perennial status as one of the tournament's favourites. The three-time champions, known for their rich legacy in the competition with victories in 1980, 1994, and 2013, are once again poised to make a significant impact.

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