The Super Eagles secured a spot in the AFCON semifinals by defeating Angola in the quarterfinals, following their victory over Cameroon in the last-eight clash.
Ademola Lookman scored the only goal in the first half as Nigeria defeated Angola 1-0 in their quarter-final AFCON encounter in Abidjan on Friday.
Lookman’s goal marks his third in the competition, joining the ranks of legendary Nigerian strikers Austin Okocha, Rashidi Yekini, and Odion Ighalo, who have achieved the same feat in the knockout stages of AFCON.
Angola had a promising opportunity in the early stages of the second half when Zine found himself through on goal, but his curled shot struck the base of the post, sparing Nigeria from conceding.
Osimhen believed he had extended Nigeria’s lead with a header that the goalkeeper parried into the net, sparking wild celebrations. However, the joy was short-lived as VAR overturned the decision and the scoreline remained unchanged.
Nigeria faced a tough battle against Angola, the highest-ranked and tactically strong opponent in the quarterfinals of the 2023 African Cup of Nations.
The Super Eagles, being the highest-ranked team remaining in AFCON, were considered favourites in this unprecedented clash against Angola.