Your Web 3 Guru and Moonbet presenting todays match: Nigeria – Angola
Nigeria, the three-time Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) champions, secured a convincing 2-0 victory over Cameroon in the last-16, propelling them into the quarter-finals, a step further than their performance in the previous edition. With an impressive three consecutive wins in the tournament, the Super Eagles, boasting a rich AFCON history, enter this match as fervent favorites to advance, supported by their formidable record in AFCON quarter-finals since the introduction of the final eight in 1992 (W9, L1).
Head coach José Peseiro remains focused on the immediate challenge, emphasizing that all eight quarter-finalists are legitimate contenders for the title. Despite downplaying his team’s chances, Nigeria’s ability to maintain three clean sheets in this tournament should instill confidence in Peseiro’s ambitions for a semi-final berth. Notably, Nigeria has scored in all but one of their last 12 AFCON fixtures at the finals.
Interestingly, Angola’s recent encounter with Nigeria occurred in a quarter-final (L 2-1 after extra time) during the 2018 African Nations Championship, exclusive to players representing home nation clubs. Although the full-strength national teams haven’t met competitively since the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification, Angola draws motivation from their most recent history as they enter their first AFCON quarter-final since 2010 when they hosted the tournament but were eliminated by Ghana.
Building on their most successful group stage at an AFCON, Angola continued their quest with a commanding 3-0 victory over Namibia, aiming for their maiden semi-finals appearance. Their eight-game unbeaten run in competition football (W4, D4) includes noteworthy upsets as pre-match underdogs (2-0 v Burkina Faso, 1-1 v Algeria, 0-0 v Cape Verde), fueling their aspiration for a historic triumph.
Players to watch include Victor Osimhen, who scored Nigeria’s first goal after an assist from Ademola Lookman, while Gelson Dala, with doubles in wins over Namibia and Mauritania, has earned the highest Flashscore player rating in two separate matches at this tournament.
In terms of recent form, Nigeria’s last six games (excluding friendlies) have produced under 2.5 total goals, showcasing a defensive resilience as they navigate through the challenges of the tournament.
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