Lookman knocks Angola out in quarter-finals as Nigeria stick to Afcon script
One of the most surprising things is when something that was anticipated to cause a shock doesn't happen at all. A tournament known as the Cup of Nations where past achievements and rankings seemed to hold no meaning, finally had a match that turned out as everyone hoped it would. Ademola Lookman's goal in the first half and the team's fourth consecutive clean sheet helped Nigeria make it to the semi-finals of the Cup of Nations for the 16th time.
This is something they're used to, and they did it in a way they're familiar with. Even though Zini's shot hit the goalpost while the score was 1-0, the team led by José Peseiro played with great control, the only worry being that they couldn't score another goal to secure their victory.
Peseiro seemed a bit annoyed about not being more brutal in taking advantage of a couple of counterattacks and when the game momentarily became more open. However, he energetically defended his prior performances before the competition, claiming that friendly matches are only meant for getting ready and going into detail as to why nobody should undervalue the importance of defeating Angola. He stated, "My team put up a fight for this triumph. They have confidence in our strategy, our arrangement, our mentality."
The coach of Angola, Pedro Gonçalves, was frank in his assessment of the game. He believed that Nigeria played better and deserved the win. He discouraged his team from complaining about the loss and encouraged them to show good sportsmanship. Despite having talented forwards, they were not able to perform well due to the intensity of the game which led to fatigue. Consequently, his players were not able to keep up with the pace of the match.
Nigeria has a remarkable track record in quarter-final matches. They have participated in 11 quarter-finals at the Cup of Nations since 1990, when the competition expanded. They have only lost one quarter-finals match in 2008 against Ghana, who were motivated by Junior Agogo. Moreover, Angola, despite Peseiro's assertions, don't possess the same inspiration as Ghana's Junior Agogo.
On a hot and humid afternoon in Ivory Coast's February weather, the Nigeria fans were drumming rhythmically, causing a sleepy effect. The game had become slow and almost boring before a surprise winner was scored. Eddie Afonso, the right-back of Atletico Petroleos, seemed to be affected by the sleepy mood and reacted slowly to the forward pass. This gave Moses Simon the chance to beat him to the ball. With Victor Osimhen making an intelligent run towards the near post, three defenders followed him, creating space for Simon to pass the ball to Lookman. Lookman smashed the ball into the net, marking his third goal of the tournament.
The honesty vibe was definitely spreading. Simon, who won the game's highest accolade, stated that winning was the ultimate goal. He added that being named man of the match while losing was not ideal.
Angola lost their third Cup of Nations quarter-final, despite playing well in the first three weeks of the tournament. They played better than their previous two attempts in 2008 and 2010 but only had one early opportunity for Mabululu after a corner. Their best chance came just before the hour mark when Alex Iwobi lost possession and Zini had a chance to score, but the ball bounced off the post. Stanley Nwabali was angry with Iwobi for his mistake and even grabbed his cheeks to point it out. Zini may be haunted by this missed opportunity.
Despite Nigeria's difficult journey through the group stages and their success in beating Cameroon in the last 16 match without conceding any goals, a significant number of fans have expressed dissatisfaction with Peseiro. These fans have voiced their opposition to the 63-year-old Portuguese coach continuing his role even if Nigeria becomes the tournament's champions. It's worth noting that Peseiro's career history includes 13 jobs since departing from Sporting in 2005, and none of these positions lasted over 50 games. Based on the current playing style, it appears that Peseiro's appointment was not an inspiring choice for the team's playing style.
Using three defenders positioned deeper down the field, like what happened on Friday, may appear overly cautious. However, considering the unpredictability of the tournament, where unexpected outcomes continue to occur, it makes sense for Peseiro to think that preventing goals is key to avoiding defeat. Notably, Nigeria is currently the highest-ranking team left in the tournament, and their record is impressive as they have not let any goals in since Ibán Edu scored against them for Equatorial Guinea just before half-time in their initial game.
The combination of Solidity with Osimhen (and Lookman) is demonstrating to be a very successful choice.
