WHAT HAPPENED
Nigeria and Ivory Coast were pooled together in Group A in the ongoing 2023 Africa Cup of Nations finals hosted by the latter.
The Elephants and the Super Eagles are scheduled to lock horns on Thursday at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
A win for the hosts will seal their place in the knockout phase after their matchday one win over Guinea Bissau.
Nigeria were shocked by minnows Equatorial Guinea who fought tooth and nail to get a point in a 1-1 draw.
The Super Eagles and the Elephants are regarded as this edition's favourites owing to the quality of their squads.
Okocha is anticipating a tough outing between the teams before explaining why he feels Jose Peseiro's team can get a win.
WHAT OKOCHA SAID
"Absolutely! Every match is difficult but when you play the host country, it is even more difficult," Okocha told Caf Website.
"But, of course, the beauty of football is that if you want to be champions, you have to win against the best and as we know, in football, every match is difficult.
"If you are well prepared, you have a chance of winning your match. But, we Nigerians, we know that it will be a difficult match but also, we believe that we have enough potential to be able to win this match," he added.
"My favorite [to win Afcon], of course, is Nigeria, naturally. Come on, we'll wait and see."
WHAT NEXT
In the 2021 edition, Nigeria failed to get past the Round of 16 after winning all the group matches.Peseiro and his playing unit have to bounce back after their initial draw to stand a chance of advancing.
The Elephants are relying on the 12th man at home to cheer the playing unit to another vital win against the favourites.
Source: Goal.com
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