Nigeria could be African champions again next year if they make the most of a training camp in Faro, Portugal, says one of the players expected to light up the championship.

The Eagles will open a training camp in Portugal on December 27 and the Portugal-based Sporting Braga star defender Elderson Echiejile has said has expressed confidence that the hard work and sacrifices there could be rewarded with a third Nations Cup conquest by Nigeria in South Africa.

“I believe if we give everything in the training camp, we will have a very great Nations Cup,” Echiejile told MTNFootball.com.

“This means that most of us have to cut short deserved holidays after a hectic season in Europe and also hope our clubs release us in good time so that we have enough time to work as a team,” he added.

The Braga left back said the Eagles have struggled to play as a team because they have often not had enough time to train together for longer than four days.

“We will now have at least two full weeks before our first game in South Africa and that is a lot because we hardly get that before many of our matches,” he said.

“This will be enough time to really work as a team and the result of this we will see by our first game against Burkina Faso in January 21.”

Defending champions Zambia and Ethiopia are the Eagles other first round foes in Group C to be based in Nelspruit.

The former U17 and U20 international is set for his second Nations Cup after he featured at the 2010 tournament in Angola, where Nigeria finished third.

•Photo, courtesy mtnfootball.com, shows Elderson Echiejile on duty for the Super Eagles.