2023 AFCON Nigeria 1 Angola 0: Five observations from Super Eagles win against Palancas Negras

Nigeria progressed to the semifinal of the ongoing AFCON tournament on Friday evening after defeating Angola  1-0 in the quarterfinal, courtesy of a goal from Ademola Lookman. 

Allnigeriasoccer.com presents five observations from the victory at the Stade Félix-Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan. 

1. Nwabali starts, produces strong performance in goal 

The Super Eagles goalkeeper was a doubt after sustaining an injury in the previous clash against Cameroon. 

Nwabili resumed full training on Wednesday and was fit enough to make his return on Friday against Angola. 

The Chippa United goalkeeper was strong in goal for Nigeria and commanding while dealing with aerial duels. His impressive performance earns him more confidence within the fan base in Nigeria. 

1. Lookman delivers again as Moses Simon bags official MOTM award 

Ademola Lookman continues to deliver for Nigeria at the ongoing AFCON tournament. 

The Atalanta forward has scored three goals since Nigeria progressed to the knockout stage. Against Angola, he fired a layoff from Moses Simon to the roof of the net to ensure Nigeria progressed to the last four. 

Meanwhile, Osimhen has struggled to find the back of the net at the tournament. Despite scoring in the opener against Equatorial Guinea, Osimhen has yet to find the back of the net in the last four games. 

Moses Simon showcased a remarkable performance that earned him the Man of the Match Award. Additionally, he provided the crucial assist for the only goal of the encounter.

3. Unlucky Osimhen as drought continues 

Since his equalizer against Equatorial Guinea, Osimhen has been grappling with scoring woes, failing to find the back of the net in the four subsequent games of the ongoing tournament. 

Unluckily, the Napoli striker was once again denied a goal against Angola, as his effort hit the back of the net but was ruled out for offside.

4. Concerns for Peseiro as Frank Onyeka sustains injury

Concerns are reportedly growing for Jose Peseiro as Nigeria approaches the semifinal clash against either Cape Verde or South Africa. 

The Portuguese manager may need to strategize for the match without the services of Frank Onyeka, who was substituted due to a potential injury. He was replaced by Joe Aribo. 

Onyeka, known for his solid partnership with Alex Iwobi in the midfield for Nigeria, would be sorely missed by the Portuguese manager if he fails to recover. 

5. Strong performance from the referee 

The center referee in the Eagles versus Angola clash, Issa Sy, exhibited an impressive performance. The Senegalese referee made the correct decision in disallowing an Osimhen goal and demonstrated command in his decisions throughout the game.

Adeyemi Adewale

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