“They carry a big threat” – South African hero convinced Super Eagles are a dangerous opponent

The three-time continental champions have qualified for the knockout stages of the Afcon despite having still to play Guinea-Bissau

Former South Africa international Teko Modise has warned opponents to be wary of the threat posed by the Super Eagles as they are a dangerous outfit. 

Not many gave Nigeria a chance to excel at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations after the withdrawal of leading goalscorer Victor Osimhen, 2019 Afcon top goalscorer Odion Ighalo, and Watford’s exciting forward Emmanuel Dennis.

But the three-time Afcon kings have outpaced expectations by dishing out convincing defeats to seven-time record winners Egypt and 1970 Afcon champions Sudan.

All these have been achieved while playing a brand of high intensity, attacking football, masterminded by a manager who has only been in charge for less than a month.

With South Africa not at the biennial tournament in Cameroon, Modise has had time to watch the Super Eagles. And what the former Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder has witnessed has convinced him that the Nigerians are the real deal.

And the retired international, who featured for the Bafana Bafana between 2007 and 2012, believes the Augustine Eguavoen-led team carries more attacking threat than the Eagles side in his playing days.

“The Super Eagles side that I played against had a lot of big names, but the guns had no bullets,” Modise told ESPN.

“The ones that are playing now are more promising and more dangerous than the ones I played against, so they are capable of winning.

“They carry a big threat. I think there is a lot of depth in the team, but they haven’t been tested yet, especially in that second game. But after the group stages, I think that is where the depth that they have will come in.”

Nigeria will meet Guinea-Bissau at the Roumde Adjia Stadium in Garoua on Wednesday in their last Group D match. They will, after that, know their Round of 16 opponents.