Cote d’Ivoire winger Max Alain Gradel has said the the Elephants are not under pressure to do well at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Gaziantep player expressed confidence in the ability of the team to beat the Super Eagles in their second game of the competition.
“It was important for us to win the first game. We started slowly but victory is what is important,” Gradel told a press conference.
“We are happy with the three points. We have three days to prepare for the game against Nigeria. We are prepared and ready.
“We have a good team, no pressure. We are Cote d’Ivoire and will do our best to win the game.”
Thursday’s encounter will take place at the Alassanne Quattara Stadium, Ebimpe, Abidjan.
By Adeboye Amosu in Abidjan
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25 Comments
Don’t worry you are a dreamer, your dream will clear tomorrow by 8 pm when three goals had entered your net
Yes as a matter of fact just like the proverb in the bible, the super eagles beating the host ivory coast is like a Carmel passing through the eye of a needle….
It’s so impossible…
@monkey post , Nigerian teams have been to like two tournaments now (u20, Super falcons) where they have done the unthinkable beating their hosts in front of their fans.
I will tell you for free that Nigeria will beat iveory coast tomorrow. they may faulter with minors but will always step up when it matters because they have the qualities to do so.
Talk is cheap and anything is bound to happen but i strongly feels that the conspicuous absence of Alhassan Yusuf owing to injury will greatly affect the team. I Posit here that Senior man Kels be drafted in and start while onyedika should replace Yusuf. SE would either win or draw.
Nigerians you people are Funny looool!!!! do you know who Ivory COAST is?. Everybody has a right to back themselves so don’t get upset and Arrogant when a strong team playing at home behine 80 000 die hand Fans backing them. I would advise you people to remain Humble and Shut all your traps. it is not like we are playing EQ with a full strength squad. We are playing the Host and we have big injuries
PS. Why would they not be confident after all our Team is still led by a sheep Ahmed Musa who the coach know’s he is scared to call upon yet takes him to an important tournament as a cheerleader. LOOOOOOOOOOOOL! Nigeria Funny country indeed
There is nothing humble about your comment, maybe you should take your own advice and be humble. Our history against your team will repeat itself tomorrow.
Ugo! U need to shut your big mouth if you don’t know anything about football history! Super Eagles always edge ivory coast whenever it comes to competitive football match
When you allow them to win one tournament or get to final they start to forget the real giants. NFF is the cause of any country looking down on SE and SF. If you don’t hire a good coach even a pure seller will tell you they will beat you so I’m not surprised by the plenty noise of “We will beat Eagles”.
They have witnessed how Lesotho and the fellow meagre ranked teams played us toe to toe and left unscathed, infact Guinea inflicted us with pre tournament defeat and we expect a whole CIV to be jittered. SE is now like local dog going to fight Security dog. I’m just waiting when we cross the group stage before I will start writing down excuses Peseiro will make.
I wonder how the host country is still very humble despite the fact that they won their opening match with a convincing 2-0. And Nigeria that struggled to equalize keep making mouth. Cant we just keep quiet and let the match be played first before talking. Na wa o
Who exactly is making mouth? The fans or the players cos I am not sure what you mean.
That’s what everyone thought too in 2013 when you even had football great Didier Traore and serial APOTY Yaya Traore. CIV were the favorites to progress to the semi-final. Most Nigerians didn’t invest a lot of hope in the match. But I remember Mikel assuring the Nigeria would win and so it was.
@Kel Lets hope you really don’t think that Drogba’s surname is Traore.. And please bro When a team like Ivory Coast braggs understand that they have every right too Ivory Coast and senegal handle thier Football better than Nigeria does. For instance in Ivory Coast (2010’s) and Senegal’s (Presently) Golden Generation there was no debate on who Makes the list. However in Nigeria’s Current Golden Generation we still see the likes of Ahmed Musa making the team whiles bigger players younger ones missing out. I mean Bro Nigeria should be ashamed of themselves. ANd if you people don’t just keep mute and be humble I swear to God Ivory coast will humiliate us Tomorrow Rather just Keep Mute and Pray for a good Result. that is my only advise to you lot
@Ugo
How are you sure the Ivorians are handling their football better than us. Cause they are hosting? You do know hosting a cup is more about politics than sports.
When was the last time you heard Asec or African sports,both Ivorian juggernaut,did anything special in the continent?!. What about the Ivorian underage teams, female teams? Any better?
Yeah., Nigeria football isn’t where we need it to be, the FA is basically useless, but it would be farfetched saying the Ivorians are doing better. Last I checked they still have a Kessie and Max Gradel in their squad. The former playing in Saudi Arabia whilst the latter in Turkey,same as Musa.And Gradel is as old as Ahmed.
I am totally against the Musa call up, but we shouldn’t be too quick to castigate ours over others.
While we criticise constructively, we should not forget to encourage, at the end of the day we want the best for our country and tearing her down does nothing good for us.
No matter our indifference and feelings, we are all Nigerians and Nigeria should always come first.
I look forward to a great game tomorrow and the Super Eagles got my full support. We got the pedigree,quality and precedence to back us up.
Aptly captured Up Super Eagle for Victory
Hahahaha. Ugo, of course, that was an error. I thought that should be obvious. You seem to think others don’t know football as much as you do (which you’re insinuating by thinking I mistook Yaya for Drogba. Me wey don dey watch football since the 80’s. Lol).
As for Musa, I’ll ask you to slow down a bit. Sometimes we need to allow the natural law of selection to take its place. He might be in the twilight of his career, but I believe he still brings something unique to the table. As recent as the 2019 Afcon, he and Ighalo were doing most of the damage to opponents as the SE waltzed their way to the SF. I believe in changes too, but not wholesale. Must be strategic, so the effect its not catastrophic, like Oliseh did to us back then.
Watch Ekong’s EQ post-match interview, he insinuated the SE missed the experience of people like Mikel, Ighalo, and Musa. Only one of them is remaining, should we sweep that one away too?
Just like in 2013, I’m not investing too much hope and emotion into the match tomorrow, but an instinct tells me we’ll all be pleasantly surprised. Even if that doesn’t happen, I don’t think I’ll take it too badly. After all, almost every team scores us first these days (and Musa wasn’t in those matches). So if CIV scores first tomorrow, I still won’t be tensed.
Nwoke m go back & read your post & stop being too petty . So Nigerians can’t talk or brag about there team but La Cote d ivoire can right? Bros this is a game anything can happen & history favours Nigeria in terms of beating the host Nations & again pls leave prayer out of this ok.
The focus is training & preparation with a strong mental strength for Victory that is the key to successful outcome & we did it against them in 2013 when they even have superstars & favorites to win the cup but you know the end game in 2013 so take it easy & tone it down a bit Nwanne Mmadu.
My own prediction is that the match between Nigeria and Ivory Coast will turn out being the most gripping and thoroughly game in the tournament to that point.
Peseiro’s boys will be unhinged in their determination in sending out a statement whilst Ivory Coast will want to stamp their authority.
This will be a ruthless encounter. Whichever team wins, it promises to be memorable. Even if we lose, I still top the Super Eagles to reach the round of 16 by hook or by crook.
Cheers.
@Deo Nice Analysis Up Super Eagle for Victory
Pleasant surprise await everyone tomorrow.
I wish this game was between Ghana and the Super Chickens! CAF didn’t do us a favour this time around by grouping us with these chickens. It would have been a walk over.
And, please don’t remind me about Cape Verde. If Nigeria had met with Cape Verde, the Super Chickens would have lost 4:0.
You should just be ashamed of your gaynians team without any direction.ordinary tiny island of comoros beat you guys hands down let alone of cape verde.Thank God we drew our first match but what of headless gaynians team that was punished.What a shame on you guys.
Is gaynians team deserve good football.Nonsense ghana team.
This Tanzanian team is the poorest I’ve seen in this tournament so far. Too many misplaced passes. Too basic football skills. How is this Tanzanian team with journeyman Amrouche better than the one that played under Amunike who played with so much flair in 2019? Yes, they didn’t win a match in 2019, but they were up against eventual champions Algeria, current champions Senegal, and Kenya who nicked it at the last minute 3-2. And they played with so much potential and fluidity! Not this disjointed play under Amrouche.
They’re going to be roasted in this group, in fact in any of the groups. Their only star and standard player is Samata. I couldn’t believe how so poorly they wasted a fantastic super counter opportunity. the transition was killed off so pathetically at the edge of the 18 with primary school football decisions.
And Morocco will be making a big mistake to judge their ability on the strength of the result of this match. This is simply a mismatch.