The Africa Cup of Nations gets underway this weekend, and one of the standout nations will open their campaign on Sunday. Nigeria will likely be the biggest threat to the Ivory Coast for top spot in Group A, and they will be looking to make the perfect start when they come up against Equatorial Guinea.
Africa Cup of Nations Preview
It has been a long build up to the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations, but the tournament finally gets underway this weekend. Nigeria will be among the leading contenders to go deep in the competition, and they will be expected to push Ivory Coast all the way for the top spot in the Group A standings.
Nigeria have been crowned champions of Africa on three previous occasions, with their most recent success coming back in 2013. In the previous edition, they reached the round of 16, which marked their earliest exit in the competition since falling at the group stage in 1982. Their preparations were hit slightly in their final prep match after losing 2-0 to Guinea, but they enjoyed an excellent period in 2023 after avoiding defeat in seven internationals.
Given that teams in third could also progress through to the next round, there will be pressure on Equatorial Guinea to hold their own in this company in Group A. The nation will only be playing at the tournament for the fourth time in their history, but their record is very impressive.
They have reached at least the quarterfinal stage on all three previous appearances. The latest of those came in 2019 when they won two of their five matches in the tournament. Their form is incredibly eye-catching on paper, as they won five of their seven internationals throughout 2023.
Nigeria vs Equatorial Guinea Head to Head
This will be the third time that these two African nations have collided, but the first that they have clashed in the Africa Cup of Nations. Nigeria boasts a 100% record against Equatorial Guinea, winning each of the last three by an aggregate scoreline of 6-1.
Nigeria vs Equatorial Guinea Prediction
Equatorial Guinea certainly look like a nation that are capable of springing a surprise in Group A this year. We could see them upsetting the odds in this opening match by landing a shock win over Nigeria to open their campaign.
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