Respected Italian pundit Gabriele Marcotti has expressed his lack of concern for the Nigerian national team following their 1-1 draw against Equatorial Guinea in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations opener. Despite the Nzalang Nacional taking the lead with Iban Salvador’s 36th-minute goal, Nigeria quickly responded with Victor Osimhen’s header, securing a draw.

Marcotti emphasized that he is not worried about the dropped points, highlighting that Equatorial Guinea is not as weak as perceived. On ESPN’s The Gab & Juls Show, he stated, “I’m not concerned as some people will be because Equatorial Guinea are not a bad team, maybe a tiny country but they’re a country with a lot of money.”

Describing Equatorial Guinea as the “Spaniards of Africa” with the ability to play and move the ball, Marcotti acknowledged Nigeria’s missed chances but remained optimistic. He added, “I’m not so concerned about this; it would have been nice to beat them since people have a lot of doubts about Nigeria defensively short but I can live with this, just turn it on in the next game.”