Nigeria vs Angola Prediction: End of the road for Angola, who will struggle against the Super Eagles

In this highly anticipated clash, the Super Eagles of Nigeria will face off against Angola at the Stade Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium on Friday. Nigeria will play their eleventh quarterfinals in this tournament, and no teams have played more. At the same time, Angola, who have not made it past this stage in history, will be keen to eliminate the only best-ranked side left in this competition. 

FIFA Ranking: 42th

The Super Eagles of Nigeria maintained their momentum as they edged out Cameroon in the round of sixteen. Jose Peseiro's men embraced their usual five at the back, which functioned perfectly for them against the Indomitable Lions. Nigeria drew the first blood when Lookman found the back of the net before the break and doubled it in the 90th minute to advance to the quarterfinals. 

They began their journey with a disappointing (1-1) stalemate against Guinea Bissau; however, their second game was one of their best performances in a long time as they defeated Ivory Coast in front of their home fans. After missing some clear-cut chances and being denied several opportunities, Nigeria settled for a (0-1) victory over Guinea in their final group game, thanks to an own goal by their opponent. 

Since the start of the tournament, only two teams have had a shot on target against the Super Eagles, as they have conceded just once. The Super Eagles boast one of the best defences in this tournament but must be wary of the Giant Sable Antelope, who can be deadly in counterattacks. 

Nigeria's Likely Lineup: Nwabali; Aina, O. Samuel, Ekong, Sanusi; Alhassan Yusuf, Iwobi, Onyeka, Simon; Lookman, Osimhen

Key Player: Victor Osimhen

FIFA Ranking: 117th

The Giant Sable Antelopes will play their third quarterfinals in this tournament after knocking out Namibia in round sixteen. Gelson Dala scored his fourth goal of the tournament as his brace and a goal from Mabululu secured them the maximum points against a lowly-ranked opponent. For the third time in the competition, Angol scored more than a goal. 

Angola is still searching for their first-ever AFCON trophy; their best time in the tournament was in 2008 and 2010, when they made it to the last eight. 

After a slow start to the tournament, the Giant Sable Antelopes have built momentum but will face their most formidable opponent in this competition tomorrow. 

Angola Likely Lineup: Neblu, Augusto, Gaspar, Buatu, Carneiro, Luvumbo, Fredy, Gelson, Keliano, Milson, Mabululu

Key Player: Agostinho Cristóvão Paciência (Mabululu)

Over their previous ten meetings, Nigeria have won three while Angola have recorded two wins and five games ending in a draw. The Super Eagles have proved the naysayers wrong in this competition, including me, as they continue to improve in every aspect of their game. Nigeria denied their recent opponent a shot on target, with Guinea Bissau (1) and Ivory Coast (1) being the only side that have had a shot at goal against them. At the same time, Angola have been scoring for fun in this competition, with nine goals scored so far. They’ve played against winnable opponents, and this game is their first real test in the tournament. 

Nigeria are now the favorite to secure the AFCON Trophy after the elimination of Morocco, Egypt and Senegal. They are the highest-ranked side left in this competition. 

Nigeria appears to possess a great attacking threat and a solid defence, and it’ll be difficult for Angola to penetrate. Angola always rely on counterattacks to impair teams, but they won’t be able to do that against the Super Eagles defenders, who hardly leave their territory. 

We expect another dominant display from the Super Eagles, even though it won’t come easy. They’ll surely be at the top of their game and probably get the job done before the regular time; bet on Nigeria win for 1.71.

Nigeria will likely get a goal in both halves for 3.24.

I’m not sure Angola will trouble the Super Eagles, as Nigeria boast a stronger squad than their opponent. We anticipate a halftime victory for Nigeria here for 2.40.

Good luck!