AFCON: Preview of the quarterfinals sees Nigeria and South Africa as favorites.
Former champions Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, and South Africa have earned the right to be considered favorites in the quarterfinals of the Africa Cup of Nations to be played on Friday and Saturday. However, in a tournament where seven out of the top 10 ranked teams, led by Morocco, a 2022 World Cup semi-finalist, have been eliminated, this label could prove to be a curse.
AFP Sport previews the matches, with Guinea and Mali looking to take a step forward after being runners-up, while Angola and Cape Verde seek their first appearance in the semifinals.
Nigeria-Angola:
Victor Osimhen, Napoli’s star, entered the tournament as a celebrated goalscorer, but it is his incredible work rate in scorching heat that perfectly encapsulates Nigeria’s title aspirations under the guidance of José Peseiro.
Concerns about the defense led by William Troost-Ekong proved unfounded, with only one goal conceded in four games, and notably against Cameroon, the Super Eagles were impressive in not allowing any chances.
On the other hand, Angola is one of the in-form teams, defeating Ivory Coast in three consecutive games, completely overturning their record in the competition, where they had previously only won once in eight final-phase matches. Gelson Dala is the tournament’s second-highest scorer with four goals, and Mabululu has scored three, alongside captain Freddy, who is also one of the team’s highlights.
DR Congo-Guinea:
DR Congo coach Sebastien Desabre stated before the tournament that the goal was to reach the quarterfinals for a country that won the tournament twice decades ago when it was known as Zaire. Having achieved the primary goal, Desabre believes that reaching the first semifinal since 2015 is possible, with Ivory Coast potentially being the opponent again.
While the Congolese defeated the favored Egypt, a seven-time world champion, in a penalty shootout, Mohamed Bayo secured Guinea’s victory in injury time over the group-stage surprise, Equatorial Guinea. Guinea’s coach, Kaba Diawara, warned, “It’s not a gift to face us,” after keeping top scorer Serhou Guirassy on the bench for most of the Round of 16 match.
Mali-Ivory Coast:
Having advanced to the knockout stage as the worst of the best third-placed teams, Ivory Coast, the host country, surprised the titleholder and strong favorite Senegal, robbing them of their candidate status. “We won’t get carried away,” emphasized Emerse Fae, coaching a senior team for the first time, after Jean-Louis Gasset was dismissed at the end of the group stage.
The return to fitness of Sebastien Haller, Borussia Dortmund’s forward, and Simon Adingra, Brighton’s winger, enhances attacking options, while Mali relies mainly on Lassine Sinayoko to score goals. Mali’s team, coached by Eric Chelle, born in Abidjan, seeks their first victory over Ivory Coast in the competition, having drawn once and lost four previous CAN encounters.
Cape Verde-South Africa:
Cape Verde may be 73rd in the world rankings, but coach Pedro Bubista Brito told his players before the competition that he expected to reach at least the semifinals. It seemed like a daunting task for a team of players who play in modest clubs across Europe and were born there, either to Cape Verdean parents or with grandparents from the island territory.
However, after defeating Ghana and Egypt, a seven-time champion, despite resting several regular starters, South Africa is on notice not to underestimate the Blue Sharks. “Our victory against Morocco is historic. Cape Verde is as determined as we are to reach the semifinals, and we dare not underestimate them,” said South African coach Hugo Broos, who won the 2017 AFCON with Cameroon.
