AFCON 2023: Diallo Snubs Super Eagles, Names Three Teams As Top Trophy Contenders

The president of the Côte d’Ivoire Football Federation, Yacine Idriss Diallo, has omitted Nigeria from the list of favourites to win the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Super Eagles find themselves in Group A alongside hosts Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau.

In an interview with FourFourTwo, Diallo identified three teams that he believes will pose a strong challenge for the trophy.

“I trust our team (Côte d’Ivoire), but we know that we are not favourites. The favourites are Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, all those teams.

“We’re building a new team. If you see our team now, I think 30% are very young, it’s their first competition. But we will try to bring a very good squad to be ready.

“So we will try to do our best to go as far as possible and try to win the trophy. This is why we are here,” Diallo said.

Meanwhile, the winners of the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations are set to receive a record seven million dollars (6.4 million euros), as disclosed in a statement by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Thursday.

This amount represents a 40% increase from what Senegal earned for winning the previous edition in Cameroon two years ago.

The runners-up in Ivory Coast, who are hosting the premier African football tournament from January 13 to February 11, will be awarded four million dollars.

Teams reaching the semifinals will receive $2.5 million each, and quarterfinalists will get 1.3 million each, according to the statement, which did not provide details on other prize money.

Host nation Ivory Coast, alongside 23 other countries, including the record seven-time champions Egypt, will compete for glory in the West African nation.

The tournament kicks off on January 13 with Ivory Coast, a two-time champion, facing Guinea-Bissau in the opening match at the 60,000-seat Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan.