Nigeria v Angola: Match preview, what to expect, confirmed team news, key players, kickoff time and venue 

The Super Eagles will continue their campaign at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations with a quarterfinal clash against Angola on Friday evening.

Nigeria comfortably dispatched Cameroon in the round of 16 and will be seeking to reach the last four of the tournament for the first time since the  2019 edition.

On the other hand, Angola eased past Namibia to reach this stage and are now 90 minutes away from reaching the semifinal for the first time in the nation's history.

 

Match preview

 

Both sides have met 8 times in previous past with the Super Eagles winning three times, drawing five, and losing twice.

Not only does Nigeria boast a better head-to-head record but also has better players which makes them slight favorites heading into the game.

 

What to expect

The Super Eagles are expected to continue their 3-4-3 formation which has helped concede one goal so far. 

 

Due to their setup, the three-time African champions use their width a lot with the wingbacks combining with the wingers.

They scored 2 goals for the first time in the tournament against Cameroon which might mean that they have discovered their goalscoring form.

 

Conversely, Angola mainly play with a 4-3-3 formation and are one of the best attacking teams in the competition so far, scoring 9 goals.

 

The Southern African side conceded three goals in their opening two games but have yet to concede any since then.

 

The majority of their attack stems from the right flank, though their top scorer plays on the opposite flank.

 

Based on the foregoing, it is safe to say this is a game that promises to be one of the best in the quarterfinals and one that should be enjoyed by the Neutrals.

 

Confirmed team news

 

Ahmed Musa and Bright Osayi-Samuel will undergo late fitness tests with a view to their possible inclusion in the matchday squad.

 

Goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali should be available for selection after he was stretchered off the pitch in the win against Cameroon.

 

For the first fifteen minutes open to the media, the three players trained fully with the Super Eagles squad in their final workout on Thursday. 

 

As for Angola, manager ‎Pedro Gonçalves will not be able to count on the services of goalkeeper Neblu who is serving a one-game ban following his sending off in the round of 16 clash against Namibia. 

 

Key players

1. Calvin Bassey(Nigeria): The left-footed center-back has been one of the standout players for the Super Eagles. He will have a huge role to play if Nigeria are to continue their defensive solidity against a free-scoring Angolan side. 

2. Ola Aina(Nigeria): The former Chelsea defender has started all Super Eagles games so far and has been impressive offensively and defensively.

 

The 27-year-old will be up against another stern test tomorrow and has to come out with flying colors to bolster Nigeria's chances of qualifying.

 

3. Gelson Dala: He has scored the most goals of all the players left in the competition and is only one strike away from becoming the joint-top scorer.

 

If the Black Sable antelopes are to advance to the last four, the 27-year-old will have a say in that.

4. Tó Carneiro:The left-back has been one of the standout players for Pedro Gonçalves's side and will be expected to play a key role yet again.

His face-off with Ademola Lookman will be one to watch out for in the tie.

Venue and Kickoff time

The clash will go down at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny and is expected to kick off at 1800 Nigerian time. 

 

 

Abdulkareem Abdulhamid

 

 

 

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