ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast
Nigeria will take on an unpredictable Angola side in the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals on Friday as they bid to reach the last four for the first time since 2019.
The clash at the Felix
Houphouët-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan is the opening fixture of the AFCON last
eight.
the Super Eagles dispatched
arch rivals Cameroon 2-0 at the same venue in the round of 16 to reach the
quarter-finals.
As three-time AFCON winners,
Nigeria are expected to have too much quality and experience for their
opponents on paper.
Victor Osimhen, recently
crowned African Player of the Year, leads a Super Eagles attack along with the
in-form Ademola Lookman. They also boast the meanest defence, having conceded
just once.
However, Angola will be full
of confidence after surprisingly topping Group D unbeaten. This is their first
quarter-final since hosting the 2010 tournament.
Led by star striker Gelson
Dala, who netted twice against Namibia, Angola have one of the most potent
attacks at AFCON 2023 with nine goals in four games.
Dala has warned Nigeria:
"We will fight and make life hard for them. With our fans, we believe we
can win."
Angola coach Pedro Gonçalves
added: "We respect Nigeria but fear nobody. The pressure is on them as
favourites."
Nigeria boss Jose Peseiro
expects a tough test: "Angola are unpredictable with some very dangerous
players. We cannot underestimate them."
This AFCON has been full of
surprises, and another could be in store on Friday if revitalised Angola can
defy the odds and giants Nigeria.
The kick-off for Nigeria vs.
Angola is scheduled for 17:00 GMT.
No comments:
Post a Comment