Our prediction for this Africa Cup of Nations 2024 match:
Buoyed by a 2-0 win over Cameroon, Nigeria will look to give fans yet another reason to celebrate when they take on Angola in the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals. The Super Eagles are eyeing their fourth consecutive clean sheet and they are likely to rely on their rock-solid defence in Friday’s encounter. Goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali limped off with injury in the triumph over Cameroon, with Francis Uzoho being ready to step up.
Las Palancas Negras, on the other hand, have been producing excellent displays at the tournament in Ivory Coast and they are surely capable of matching the Nigerians at Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny. Taking everything into account, a close encounter is on the cards and we believe that there is a big value in betting on draw. It has to be noted that Angola goalkeeper misses the match through suspension.
Highlighted Player (Alex Iwobi):
Alex Iwobi is one of the most talented African footballers. The Nigerian football player was born in Lagos on May 3, 1996, but he moved to Arsenal at the age of 8. In 2015 he made his first-team debut for the Gunners, starting in a 3-0 loss to Sheffield Wednesday in the League Cup.
Speaking of his Premier League debut, Alex Iwobi played his first game for Arsenal in a 3-0 victory over Swansea City in October, 2015. The pacey winger played for England at youth level, but he eventually went on to play for Nigeria. Iwobi made his senior debut with the Super Eagles on October 8, 2015, coming as a substitute for Ahmed Musa in a 2-0 loss to DR Congo.
On October 7, 2017 the Arsenal footballer scored the winner for Nigeria against Zambia (1-0) which helped the Super Eagles book their place at the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals. Speaking of his individual trophies, Alex Iwobi was named CAF Young Player of the Year 2016.
Highlighted Team (Angola):
Angola national football team are controlled by Angola Football Federation. The Palancas Negras are affiliated to both CAF and COSAFA and they play their home matches at Estadio 11 de Novembro. Angola did well to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, but they failed to book their place in the last 16 on their debut at the showpiece tournament.
The African side faced the likes of Portugal, Mexico and Iran in Group D, with the team sharing the spoils with Iran and Mexico, while suffering a loss to Portugal. The Palancas Negras have been struggling to qualify for the FIFA World Cup finals ever since, but they made it to the Africa Cup of Nations on two occasions (2008, 2010).
Angola wear red shirts and black shorts when hosting their rivals, whereas their away kit is white. It has to be noted that the Palancas Negras suffered a 3-2 loss to Congo in their first ever international.