AFCON 2021: Nigeria to play at least 2 friendly matches before tournament – Rohr, says ‘Group D tricky’

Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr has described Nigeria’s Group D as tricky, just as he admitted that it was not an easy pairing, even as he was quick to reiterate his belief in the Eagles’ potential to pull through.

Reacting to Tuesday’s 2021 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) group draws in Cameroun which pitched the Super Eagles against Egypt, Sudan and Guinea-Bissau in Group D, coach Rohr who was one of the dignitaries in Yaounde, to witness Tuesday’s draw ceremony, also revealed that the team will have at least one or two friendly matches before the competition proper.

The AFCON 2021 will hold in Cameroun from January 2022.

“The first game is very important; Nigeria-Egypt, it’s a very good game and we would see, we have to finish top two in the group to go into last 16, it’s not an easy group but we are very confident,” Rohr told journalists in Yaounde.

“We will have at least one or two friendlies before the competition, we will start our campaign on the 11th (January). It’s the third day of the tournament so we have a bit more time but we have to be in Cameroon on the 6th – five days before the competition.

“We will be here not for friendly but to prepare and adapt to the different climate in case it gets very hot and humid in Garoua. So I think we will be okay, we will see the stadium tomorrow  (Wednesday)I am sure we would have a good atmosphere, the city loves football,” Rohr added.

After confronting Egypt on January 11 at the Garoua Roudme Adjia Stdium in Cameroon, the Super Eagles will face Sudan four days later at the same venue before rounding off their campaign in the group stage with their third game against Guinea Bissau on Wednesday, January 19.

Egypt is the most successful country in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations, with seven AFCON titles in their kitty, however, despite the outstanding success, Nigeria has the upper hand in terms of the head-to-head record in past games against the North Africans at previous AFCON tournaments

In the 10 meetings (AFCON) between Nigeria and Egypt, the North Africans have just three wins, the Eagles have four, while the remaining games ended in draws.

The Super Eagles will be on the hunt for a fourth AFCON title in Cameroon, having won their three titles in 1980, 1994, and 2013.

Winning the AFCON was one of the clauses inserted into the current contract of Rohr by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

Nigeria’s first group game will be against Egypt with the other group games coming against fellow group D teams in Sudan and Guinea-Bissau as they aim to go a step further than the bronze they won at the 2019 edition.

Other Groups

Group A: Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Cape Verde Islands

Group B: Senegal, Zimbabwe, Guinea, Malawi

Group C: Morocco, Ghana, Comoros Islands, Gabon

Group D: Nigeria, Egypt, Sudan, Guinea-Bissau

Group E: Algeria, Sierra Leone, Equatorial Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire

Group F: Tunisia, Mali, Mauritania, The Gambia