Nigeria, the tournament favorites, will play Angola in the Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinal. In the round of 16, the Super Eagles overcame long-standing rivals Cameroon to surpass their performance at AFCON 2021. The Palancas Negras overcame a novice Namibia team to create tournament history. They won for the first time in the knockout stages.
Preview (Nigeria vs. Angola)
Before José Peseiro’s team played their Cup of Nations opener a fortnight ago, there were modest expectations. However, after defeating Cameroon 2-0 in the most recent round, the three-time champions are starting to dream. Victor Osimhen’s fighting qualities were just as significant even though he did not contribute. Ademola Lookman scored twice in the match.
Peseiro’s team has benefited from a solid defense that has caused them to give up a few opportunities to score. Their last decisive opportunity came in their 1-0 victory over Cote d’Ivoire in the second semifinal match. Following South Africa’s stunning victory against Morocco on Tuesday to go to the World Cup 2022 semifinals, Nigeria is expected to secure the outcomes against Angola and either Cape Verde or South Africa to advance to the championship match on February 11. They can’t sit back and relax since this competition is showing that the gap between established countries and developing ones is narrowing, as evidenced by the unexpected results thus far.
The Super Eagles face Angola in a rematch of the competition. Pedro Goncalves’s team unexpectedly won Group B, which included Algeria. Since the 1-1 draw with the Fennes, they have not looked back, defeating brave Mauritania (3-2), Burkina Faso (2-0), and Namibia (3-0). Mandelulu and Gelson Dala, who together had scored seven of the nine goals scored by the Palancas Negras. The team proceeded to win in the AFCON 2023, demonstrating their ability to score freely.
Team News
Stanley Nwabali is filling in for the unpredictable Francis Uzoho for Nigeria in the finals. He is a worry for the national team because he was forced to withdraw from the match against Cameroon. But William Troost-Ekong was absent from the Super Eagles’ practices on Monday and Tuesday due to a thigh issue that prevented him from playing in the final Group A match against Guinea-Bissau.
In the quarterfinals of the competition, Peseiro is not anticipated to alter his strategy. Osimhen, Lookman, and Moses Simon should play up top. Except for Mabululu and Dala, Fredy’s three assists have been crucial for the Palancas Negras, and Gilberto’s unpredictable play makes him a threat. Neblu, who was substituted after 17 minutes against Namibia for handling the ball beyond his penalty area, is out of action for Angola.
Nigeria 2-1 Angola
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