Twenty-four teams will jostle for the biggest trophy on the continent between January 9 and February 6
Watford midfielder Oghenekaro Etebo is convinced that winning the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations tournament would be difficult for any of the 24 participating national teams.
Senegal are the top-ranked national team on the continent and the favourites to win the trophy in Cameroon next month.
Defending champions Algeria, though, remain the team to beat. Egypt, inspired by Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, and hosts Cameroon also have good chances of making the podium at the 33rd edition of the Afcon.
But Nigerian international Etebo predicts that the Super Eagles will overtake others to lift the Afcon Cup come February 6.
Responding to a question asking him to pick the winner of Cameroon 2021 during an interview with the Hive, Etebo said: “That’s difficult! It’s going to be really interesting. I’m going to go for my country, Nigeria.
“I believe it’s going to be difficult, though.”
Etebo has enjoyed a decent career in Europe since leaving Warri Wolves in 2015. The 26-year-old midfielder lists Portugal’s Feirense, Spain’s Las Palmas and Getafe, England’s Stoke City, and Turkey’s Galatasaray among the clubs he has played for.
Etebo has shared dressing rooms with quality footballers, and he is presently teammates with compatriots William Troost-Ekong and Emmanuel Dennis.
However, he insists that former Liverpool ace Alberto Aquilani is the teammate for whom he holds the most affection.
Etebo added: “I would say Alberto Aquilani, at Las Palmas. He used to play for Liverpool, Fiorentina, and is a good lad as well.
“When I was at Las Palmas, he tried to put me on the right track and invited me to places because I was alone. He had quality, a top player.”
Etebo continues to recover from the injury that has kept him out of action for several weeks and will make him miss the 2021 Afcon.
