AFCON 2023: 5 Talking points from Angola vs Nigeria

The clash between the Eagles of Nigeria and Angola is the first game of the quarter-final round of fixtures. It is the match between the team with the best attack and the best defence so far in the tournament.

Angola have scored nine goals equalled on the same as Equatorial Guinea, which is the highest scored by any other team. However, Nigeria have scored just five goals but they have the best defence in the tournament conceding just one goal.

Nigeria will hope to book their spot in the semi-final of the 2023 AFCON in their quest to win the tournament having won it thrice ( 1980, 1994, 2013).

Here are five talking from points the game;

(1) Ademola Lookman:

The Super Eagles forward player took off from where he left off in the round of 16 game against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon. The Atalanta player has taken full responsibility for getting the goals in the knock-out stages for Nigeria. Lookman has scored three goals so far for the Super Eagles which is responsible for taking the three-time Africa Champions to the Semi-final of the 2023 AFCON. He is the fourth player to score three or more goals for the Eagles in the knockout stage of the Nations Cup, following in the footsteps of Jay Jay Okocha, Rashidi Yekini and Odion Ighalo.

(2) Zaidu Sanusi:

The left-back has justified the questions that have been raised by most Nigerians about his selection in the team. Sanusi is the weakest link in the Super Eagles team at the AFCON 2023. He has been found culpable of putting the wrong foot or having misplaced passes and this might be a big problem for the team when they face a stronger opponent.

(3) Conceding Set-Pieces:

One of the major headaches for Jose Peseiro is the fact that the team conceded a lot of set pieces in dangerous places. If the Super Eagles face a team that takes advantage of these chances then this will be a problem for West Africans going into the rest of the competition.

(4) Jose Peseiro tactics:

The Portuguese international changed his formation from a 3 man defence to a four-man defence which saw his team get a lot of pressure against Angola. However, this might be a sort of worry for Nigerians because if they face a team that can take their chances and take advantage of the lapses of the Super Eagles then Nigeria might not win the trophy.

(5) Semi-final:

The Super Eagles have reached the semi-final for the Africa Cup of Nations for a record 16th time, a feat that has not been achieved by any other African country in history. Two more wins for Nigeria and they will be crowned Champions of the continent for the first time since 2013.