Super Eagles head coach, Jose Peseiro has warned his players they must keep their feet on the ground despite the hard-earned victory over Cameroon.
The three-time champions defeated the Indomitable Lions 2-0 in a thrilling contest at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium on Saturday night.
Atalanta winger, Ademola Lookman scored both goals for the West Africans.
Lookman opened scoring for the Super Eagles nine minutes before the break after he has teed up by the hardworking Victor Osimhen.
The 26-year-old then netted the second on the dot of 90 minutes.
The Super Eagles will now face Angola in the quarter-final next week.
The Palancas Negras thrashed Namibia 3-0 to earn a place in the last eight.
“We will now focus on our next match against Angola, which is having an excellent tournament,”the Portuguese told the media at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium.
“We must take this opponent seriously, so we will continue to sleep early and eat pasta (laughs). Jokes aside, all the teams at this stage are capable of winning the tournament.”
By Adeboye Amosu in Abidjan
7 Comments
The first goal was made on the streets of Lagos, polished by Amuneke, drilled in Naples and scored with inputs from England.
Angola plays fast counter attack and can finish half chances through Gelson and Mabululu. We need Kenneth Emeruo to join the defence and Bassey replace Zaidu at LB. These are the only changes plus maybe Alhassan and Iheanacho introduction if deemed fit or match Situations. Nigeria has more depths on the bench.
Agreed – Zaidu has to start from the bench this game to be replaced by the reliable and experienced Omeruo, and they also need to rotate the players for this game so we can also start with Alhassan and “senior man” Nacho must get some game time, I would say coming in no later than the start of the 2nd half for someone who is getting tired and needs a rest.
Angola were a huge problem for Nigeria the last time we met (if memory recalls) and for some reason, I have marked them down as a bogey team for the SE’s – All pray that we can beat these and get over that road bump because from our last encounters – they seem to raise their game to their very max when meeting the SE’s and they don’t seem to fear or respect us at all – they bully us, intimidate us and are always ready to engage physically, they are very good technically as a team and are very bold and patriotic to their country – So many reasons why we (SE’s) must take this game extremely seriously!! I cannot stress this enough! We will need strong minds and legs, composure and jettison any fear on the day, rise up to every challenge they throw at us and overpower and then overcome them! This I’m afraid is the only way we must approach this game if it’s not to be our last – I will be a very relieved man if/when we win this game because not only will it mean we march on but hopefully it will also mean that we have broken that hoodoo of this rugged yet very technical and determined team and country being our bogey team – They seem to have our number and so we must fight tooth and nail to take that number back from them and instead leave after this game coming up with their own number in our pockets!
A luta continua; vitória é certa!!
Ire O! Up SE’s!!
Go and Zaidu for bench na if they won’t cut off one of your boobs.
Zaidu should start the match and give way for other player at the climax of the epic match. You don’t change a winning team but for injuries.We are gradually coasting home and winning the coveted prize remains the team’s ultimate goal !
I pray Nigeria will remain consistent. To face Angola.this demands urgency. No dull moment.for 90 minutes.
In the match versus Angola Peseiro must play with the sam tactic and the players who defeated Cameroon , with biulding new stratigies for this match , with closing strictly Angolian key players just like Mabolulu and Gelson who are tow dangerous attackers, play with pressing and quick one to one play, Lookman could be in Osimhen position when Angolian defence closes him, give Simon moses instructions to be clinical on crosses kicks , give Iwobi instructions to be clinical on through ball in the depth.