AFCON 2023: Nigeria, Angola, DRC, and Guinea battle for semifinal spots in Abidjan
Nigeria takes on Angola in the first quarterfinal with DRC battling against Guinea in the final match of the day
As the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023 heats up, the quarterfinals set to take place in Abidjan on Friday evening promise riveting clashes and intense battles for semifinal berths.
Football enthusiasts will witness high-stakes encounters as Nigeria faces off against Angola, while the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) locks horns with Guinea.
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Nigeria vs Angola - 8PM EAT
In the first fixture, Nigerian coach Jose Peseiro exudes confidence despite injury concerns, emphasizing the importance of sticking to their organizational plan against a formidable Angola side. Peseiro remains cautious of Angola's attacking prowess but believes in his team's abilities to secure victory, stating, "Both teams want to reach the semifinal and it will therefore be a very hard match."
Angola's coach Pedro Goncalves, on the other hand, sees this match as an opportunity for his team to make history, emphasizing their readiness to face the Nigerian giants. With a tactical approach aimed at exploiting Nigeria's weaknesses, Angola aims to upset the favorites and advance to the semifinals, as Goncalves stated, "We respect Nigeria for all they have achieved in African football, they really are a powerful team with players in good leagues in Europe."
DRC vs Guinea - 11PM EAT
In the second fixture, DRC tactician Sebastien Desabre acknowledges the surprises of the tournament so far while expressing his team's ambition to progress further. Despite their struggles in front of goal, DRC aims to be more offensive against Guinea, relying on their ability to create chances and capitalize on them, as Desabre mentioned, "Against Egypt we created chances to score but we didn't unfortunately."
Guinea's coach Kaba Diawara emphasizes the importance of seizing crucial moments in the game, highlighting his team's readiness to compete at this level. With a blend of respect for their opponents and confidence in their abilities, Guinea enters the quarterfinal clash with determination and a hunger for victory, as Diawara asserted, "We are happy to be at this stage and what we now need to do is fight harder and make use of our moments against DRC."
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