John Obi Mikel, the former Super Eagles captain and Chelsea midfielder, has made a bold prediction about the potential finalists of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON.
According to Mikel, he believes that the final showdown will feature Ivory Coast and Nigeria.
These predictions come after Ivory Coast defeated Mali 2-1 and the Super Eagles beat Angola to secure their places in the last four of the tournament.
Nigeria is poised to face South Africa in the first semifinal on Wednesday evening, while Ivory Coast is set for a clash with the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Mikel’s prediction implies a potential rematch as the two teams have previously faced each other in the group stage of the tournament.
In the group stage, Jose Peseiro’s team secured a victory against the Elephants with a solitary goal.
During an interview on The Obi One podcast, Mikel was asked about the possibility of an Ivory Coast versus Nigeria final. He responded, “I think so. I was thinking about it the other day and I was contemplating how we managed to defeat them in the group stage. At that time, they were on the verge of exiting the tournament, but now they are back in contention. They have gained momentum and, although not performing exceptionally, they have started securing victories. If they can make it to the final, who knows?”