Côte d’Ivoire FA President downplays Super Eagles’ AFCON favorites tag
Yacine Idriss Diallo, the president of the Côte d’Ivoire football association, has dismissed Nigeria’s Super Eagles as one of the favorites for the upcoming 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Despite being grouped together with Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau in Group A, Diallo identified Morocco, Senegal, and Egypt as the top contenders for the coveted trophy.
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In an interview with FourFourTwo, Diallo expressed confidence in the Côte d’Ivoire team while acknowledging that they may not be the favorites.
He stated, “I trust our team (Côte d’Ivoire), but we know that we are not favorites. The favorites are Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, all those teams.”
Highlighting the youthfulness of the Côte d’Ivoire team, Diallo noted, “We’re building a new team. If you see our team now, I think 30% are very young; it’s their first competition. But we will try to bring a very good squad to be ready. So we will try to do our best to go as far as possible and try to win the trophy. This is why we are here.”
The AFCON 2023 tournament kicks off on January 13, 2024, with Côte d’Ivoire hosting the event almost a decade after being announced as the hosts.
Diallo expressed confidence in the country’s readiness for the competition, emphasizing the significance of the event for Côte d’Ivoire.
“This event means a lot of things for our country; it’s a very important event. Since 2014, when it was decided that Ivory Coast would organize this competition, our country put in a lot of money. But more than money, we put our heart into this organization. And now I can say that we’re ready. We’re really ready. I can say that.”
This marks the second time Côte d’Ivoire will host the AFCON since the 1984 edition.
