Super Eagles head coach, Jose Peseiro, has played down talk of his team being favourites to advance to the last four of the ongoing 2023 Africa Cup of Nation (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire ahead of today’s quarter-final clash with Angola.
The Peseiro-led squad who defeated age-old rivals Cameroon 2-0 in the round of 16 have been tipped to beat their quarter final opponents, Palancas Negras of Angola, at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan Friday’s night to progress to the last four of the tournament where they would face the winner of the clash between Cape Verde’s Blue Sharks and South Africa’s Bafana Bafana in one of the semi final matches.
But, the Eagles gaffer insists Pedro Goncalves’ side will not be an easy opponent and urged his players to approach the game with a serious commitment and good spirit
“It’s going to be a tough game between two teams that want to reach the final. Angola is not a big name but they have good players and have played well in this competition. It’s going to be a tough game but we need to approach it with vigour, commitment and good spirit to come out with a win,” Peseiro said during a pre-match conference in Abidjan on Thursday.
“It’s going to be 50/50 for the two teams. I believe in my team, we want to win even though we won’t accept we are the favourites. We will go there and fight.”
While also speaking ahead of the match, Nigeria’s midfielder, Alex Iwobi, said he and his teammates are fired up for the encounter against their Angolan counterparts.
“Both teams want to qualify for the semi-final. For us we have to attack and defend well as we have done in previous games. We want to qualify for the next stage of the competition.
“It’s important for us to respect them (Angola). To get to this stage of the competition is a great achievement for them. They are a very good side with quality players. We must fight to win the game. All of us must give our best on the pitch,” Iwobi said at a press conference in Abidjan yesterday.
The winner of the match will face off with the winner of the clash between Cape Verde’s Blue Sharks and South Africa’s Bafana Bafana in one of the semi final matches, at the Stade de la Paix in Bouake.
(Leadership Newspaper)
