Barring peculiar stage fright  by some  teams in a tournament  of  Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) magnitude, The Cheetah of Benin’s  German coach, Gernot Rohr,  has listed the  Super Eagles of Nigeria, Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire , Teranga Lions of Senegal  and one  north African  as  the  likely  winner of  Cote d’Ivoire 2023.

The 34th edition of the continental  showpiece event  will get  underway  in Abidjan today   as hosts  Cote d’Ivoire  clash with Guinea Bissau at the Stadium Olympic Alassane Ouattara and Rohr reckoned   that this  could be the fiercest  tournament ever as  hordes of favourites pitch themselves  against  the underdogs.

 

The Super Eagles will begin their campaign tomorrow against Nzalang National of Equatorial Guinea in a match to be aired from 3pm Nigerian time on StarTimes Sports Premium Channel 252 and 246 as well as StarTimes-On app.

 

Yet Rohr who led Nigeria to their most recent best result  at the AFCON with a  bronze medal finish at Egypt 2019, said the  current  Super Eagles  under  Portuguese coach  Jose Peseiro  have enough qualities to be a major contender  at Cote d’Ivoire 2023.

 

“Yes, my team Benin (The Cheetahs), could not qualified  because  the team  was  not really in contention when I went there but it  was already too late(to qualify for AFCON 2023),” the former Bundesliga defender  who is one of the most experienced  foreign managers  in African football  today, told NationSport.“ Now,  we have to build new a team  with almost all  the players just  starting  their careers while  some others  like the captain  Stephane Sessegnon has left  and so we have a very  young team.

 

“They had lost two matches in the qualifiers and though they took five points with, it was not enough for us to qualify but I think the future will be bright for us.”

 

Rohr who  has previously worked  in Tunisia, Niger, Burkina Faso and Gabon aside  his stint with the Super Eagles  and current job with the Beninese national team, would be the first to admit that 24 of the continent’s  best team  will be on parade  at Cote d’Ivoire 2023, adding  that no quarter  would be asked and none would be given  when the tournament gets underway today.

 

“Of course, we  have some of the best teams  in the Ivory Coast (Cote d’Ivoire)  for the  AFCON and with lots of favourites  if we judge by the  African rankings  and we can see all these  wonderful teams ,” continued  Rohr  who also coached at French Ligue 1  side, Bordeaux.“ We have the defending champions, Senegal and the hosts, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Algeria and Morocco, and I think these are some of the favourites. “

 

Speaking further, the 70-year-old tactician said experience and game management would be a key factor for any of the team desirous to be crowned African Champions after the tournament’s Final Match at the Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara on February 11.

 

“Experience will count at this AFCON in the Ivory Coast,” surmised Rohr. “Like I told you, in each of the regions in Africa, we have good teams.

 

“From North Africa, we have Algeria, Morocco and even Tunisia; in West Africa, we have the Ivory Coast, Senegal, Nigeria  and painful my former team,  Gabon are not but there  are lots of others in the (AFCON) and in each region they have good teams.”