Nigeria Super Eagles have qualified for the semifinals of the 2023 AFCON after a narrow 1-0 victory over the Black Antelopes of Angola.
Ademola Lookman's goal before the break was the difference as the Super Eagles scraped pass the 107th-ranked team to reach the next round of the competition.
Tipped by pundits to carry the day against an Angolan side trying to make history in the competition, Nigeria started the game on the front foot as they looked set to edge out the spirited tournament's topscorers.
It was still a low-tempo game as the two sides battled it out for a place in the last four of the tournament. Nigeria were the better side going forward but equally struggled with the deadly attacking antics of the Angolans, who had top-scored in the tournament.
Victor Osimhen, Moses Simon, and Ademola Lookman anchored the Super Eagles attack perfectly and were posing constant threats to the Angolans' defense.
Angola were better with the ball but struggled to get in between Nigeria's green wall despite a slightly more dominant performance.
In the 41st minute, they stumbled to a deadly combined effort by Victor Osimhen, Moses Simon, and Ademola Lookman.
A well-worked play between the deadly attacking trio saw the Super Eagles break down the Angolans' defense to find a beautiful opener.
On the left, Moses Simon easily dribbled pass his marker before finding Lookman who was left unmarked as Osimhen dragged out Angola defenders to create space for the Atalanta winger to finish perfectly with a first-time strike.
The goal was enough to fire the Super Eagles into the break with a lead but it was more nervy in the second half as Angola ramped up their game to find an equaliser
It was a dicey second half for the Super Eagles. Angola hit the bar in the 60th minute in their closest chance in the game. 11 minutes later, Victor Osimhen thought he had secured the lead for the Super Eagles, scoring a header but the goal was chalked off as offside.
The final few minutes saw Nigeria struggle with heavy pressure from the Black Antelopes but it was still a deadlock as Nigeria kept them at bare to run out with a narrow 1-0 victory after the final whistle.
The Super Eagles will now take on the winner between South Africa and Cape Verde for a place in the final of the competition.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
Ademola Lookman's goal before the break was the difference as the Super Eagles scraped pass the 107th-ranked team to reach the next round of the competition.
Tipped by pundits to carry the day against an Angolan side trying to make history in the competition, Nigeria started the game on the front foot as they looked set to edge out the spirited tournament's topscorers.
It was still a low-tempo game as the two sides battled it out for a place in the last four of the tournament. Nigeria were the better side going forward but equally struggled with the deadly attacking antics of the Angolans, who had top-scored in the tournament.
Victor Osimhen, Moses Simon, and Ademola Lookman anchored the Super Eagles attack perfectly and were posing constant threats to the Angolans' defense.
Angola were better with the ball but struggled to get in between Nigeria's green wall despite a slightly more dominant performance.
In the 41st minute, they stumbled to a deadly combined effort by Victor Osimhen, Moses Simon, and Ademola Lookman.
A well-worked play between the deadly attacking trio saw the Super Eagles break down the Angolans' defense to find a beautiful opener.
On the left, Moses Simon easily dribbled pass his marker before finding Lookman who was left unmarked as Osimhen dragged out Angola defenders to create space for the Atalanta winger to finish perfectly with a first-time strike.
The goal was enough to fire the Super Eagles into the break with a lead but it was more nervy in the second half as Angola ramped up their game to find an equaliser
It was a dicey second half for the Super Eagles. Angola hit the bar in the 60th minute in their closest chance in the game. 11 minutes later, Victor Osimhen thought he had secured the lead for the Super Eagles, scoring a header but the goal was chalked off as offside.
The final few minutes saw Nigeria struggle with heavy pressure from the Black Antelopes but it was still a deadlock as Nigeria kept them at bare to run out with a narrow 1-0 victory after the final whistle.
The Super Eagles will now take on the winner between South Africa and Cape Verde for a place in the final of the competition.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
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