Nigeria's Record Instills Fear in AFCON Quarterfinals
The Super Eagles arrive undefeated for the match for a semifinal berth. Historically, they have excelled in this type of match in the Africa Cup of Nations. Their numbers are intimidating.
Nigeria and Angola will raise the curtain on the AFCON quarterfinals in a match that pits two undefeated teams in the tournament so far (1 draw and 3 victories in the last 4 matches). However, the Super Eagles have the weight of experience on their side.
After defeating Cameroon in the round of 16, Nigeria became the team that has reached the quarterfinals of the Africa Cup of Nations the most times (11) along with Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Tunisia. No other team has reached that figure.
Moreover, for the Super Eagles, it's not just about reaching the quarterfinals, but also about their performance in that round. Of the ten quarterfinal matches they've played in the AFCON, they emerged victorious in nine of them. That's a 90% success rate. Quite impressive.
Angola has reasons to be concerned before the match that will pit them against Nigeria on Friday in search of a spot in the semifinals. Nigeria's history is intimidating, yes, but it's equally true that history doesn't score goals. The match, like all matches, will start at 0-0, and what happens from there will be seen through beIN SPORTS.