Liverpool and Senegalese forward Sadio Mane has picked the Super Eagles among the favourites to qualify for the World Cup 2022 from the African zone as teams gear up for the final round of games starting from next week.
Super Eagles of Nigeria are currently holding a two points lead over second place Cape Verde in their group ahead of their final two games against Liberia and Cape Verde respectively.
Mane whose team have already pull through to the last phase of the qualifiers which will be played on home and away basis tip Nigeria, Egypt, Morocco, Cameroon, Algeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana and Tunisia among teams with a high chance of joining them in the final round of qualifiers.
“In Africa you know the top teams and they are always favourites Nigeria who have a very good young team, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Egypt. They are the usual rivals in Africa. They should progress”, he said.
Speaking on young African players making their mark in Europe he mentioned the first choice striker of the Nigerian team Osimhen among those who are moving up the ladder and will be a force in European football soon.
” Young African players are always coming through and it is really interesting to see. Osimhen at Napoli is doing well for himself, it’s the same story for a couple of other Africans here in the English Premier League and other top leagues”.