The Confederation of African Football has unveiled the jersey numbers of participating teams at the 2023 AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire.
SportsIntel provides insights into which player will adorn what is now known as Iconic Super Eagles numbers.
Iconic Super Eagles Numbers: Number 10, The Magic Is Missing
Austin JJ Okocha, Etim Esin, the super brat, and Henry Nwosu are some of the illustrious stars to adorn the world-famous number 10 jersey for Nigeria. For the 2023 AFCON, the jersey belongs to Joseph Aribo.
The Southampton Midfielder pales compared to the former illustrious stars that adorned the number for the Super Eagles. He owns the jersey at a time when the team lacks the vision and creativity that the number commands.
Iconic Super Eagles Numbers: Number Four
Firstly, Keshi made the number four famous, and Kanu Nwankwo became the next player to adorn the iconic number. For the current Eagles, it’s Alhassan Yusuf, the replacement player for Wilfred Ndidi, who will put on the number and hope to live up to its status.
Before Alhassan, the man he is replacing, Wilfred Ndidi, previously adorned the number four jersey.
Number 9 Means Goals
Out of all the iconic numbers, the number 9 has been the most consistent in delivering top-quality occupants.
Rashidi Yekini and Thompson Usiyen, among others, are the strikers to put on the number for the Super Eagles.
The 2023 AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire will see the current African player of the year, Victor Osimhen, adorn the iconic number 9 jersey.
Osimhen brings with him goals and the right mentality of top Stars who have adorned the number. He was the leading scorer in the AFCON qualifiers, breaking records as his goals powered Nigeria to Cote d’Ivoire.
Notable Mentions
Big 17 at club level and finally big 17 at home, Alex Iwobi will adorn his favorite number 17 jersey for the Eagles. Interestingly, the latest changes see the Fulham star dropping the number 18 jersey for 17.