Nigeria’s chances of winning the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2024) have been massively improved following the elimination of some of their potential main rivals.
According to a prediction by Opta’s supercomputer, Nigeria are now the favourites to win their fourth continental title with a chance of 28.8%.
The Super Eagles made a slow start to the tournament when they were held to a surprising 1-1 draw by Equatorial Guinea in their opening Group A game.
However, Jose Peseiro’s side recovered superbly to record two straight wins against hosts Ivory Coast and Guinea-Bissau to advance to the next stage of the AFCON.
They then produced their best performance of the tournament thus far, after coasting to a comfortable 2-0 victory over Cameroon in the last 16 of the tournament.
Super Eagles are now odds on favourites to win AFCON 2024
While Nigeria were getting the job done, luck was also smiling on them in the other round of 16 matches of the ongoing AFCON.
The Super Eagles went into the tournament as one of the favourites, alongside defending champions Senegal, 2022 World Cup semi-finalists Morocco and hosts Ivory Coast.
However, two of their rivals have since exited the tournament at the round of 16 stage, with Ivory Coast eliminating Senegal, while South Africa also booted out Morocco.
This leaves Nigeria as the odds-on favourites to win the AFCON, as per Opta’s supercomputer. The supercomputer predicts that the Super Eagles have a 28.8% chance of winning the tournament.
Mali are the second favourites on the supercomputer’s prediction list with a chance of 14.7% after beating Burkina Faso to advance to the quarter-finals.
Hosts Ivory Coast are third favourites with a winning chance of 13.5%, while DR Congo and Cape Verde are fourth and fifth favourites with winning chances of 9.4% and 8.8%, respectively.
South Africa, who defeated Morocco in the round of 16, are the sixth favourites with a chance of 8.7%, according to these predictions.
Which teams stand in Super Eagles' path to the final?
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s path to the final of AFCON 2024 is now straightforward after they beat Cameroon to reach the quarter-finals.
The Super Eagles will face Angola in the last eight and, should they win, they will lock horns against the winner of the Cape Verde vs South Africa game in the semi-finals.
Should they win that too, Nigeria will advance to the final where a clash against either Mali, Ivory Coast, DR Congo or Guinea will await.
Meanwhile, Nigerian fans can rest easy ahead of the quarter-finals against Angola following the refreshing news that goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali will be available for selection.
The Chippa United shot-stopper limped off in the second half of last Saturday’s last 16 clash against Cameroon after suffering a ligament injury.
However, Nwabali was captured in training on Tuesday, January 30, and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has now confirmed that he would feature against Angola.
The Nigeria vs Angola game is scheduled for Friday, February 2, at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan.
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