AFCON 2023: Angola Coach Pedro Goncalves Identifies Super Eagles' Weaknesses

AFCON 2023: Angola Coach Pedro Goncalves Identifies Super Eagles' Weaknesses

  • Pedro Goncalves, the national team coach of Angola, has expressed confidence in defeating Nigeria in their quarterfinal clash on Friday, February 2
  • He stated that he and his backroom staff have already deciphered the weaknesses of the three-time champions
  • Goncalves, however, acknowledged his respect for the Super Eagles, describing them as a strong team with experienced players

Legit.ng journalist Segun Adeyemi has over 9 years of experience covering political events, civil societies, courts, and metro

The coach of Angola's national football team, Pedro Goncalves, has revealed that his team has successfully pinpointed the vulnerabilities of the Super Eagles.

In the quarter-final clash of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, Angola is set to face Nigeria.

Angola will take on Nigeria on Saturday, February 2.
The Angolan coach Pedro Goncalves said he has much respect for the Super Eagles and the crop of players they possess. Photo Credit: Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD
Source: Getty Images

Despite being underdogs, the Palancas Negras have been on an impressive winning streak, overcoming initial challenges to secure victories against Mauritania, Burkina Faso, and Namibia.

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Nigeria is considered the front-runner in the upcoming match, and the coach of the Black Antelopes expressed his team's intention to analyse and capitalise on the vulnerabilities of the Nigerian team.

Angola coach on Super Eagles

At a pre-match press conference held at the Palais du la Culture, Goncalves assured reporters that his team is well-prepared to confront the three-time African champions.

As quoted by Sport Brief, the Angolan gaffer said:

"I know the national team of Nigeria. They might be more fragile than us. The most important thing is we are ready to face Nigeria. We are taking the situation one moment at a time.
"We've organised a lot of hybrid meetings, necessary to correct our weaknesses and areas where the team needs to improve.
"We've studied the opponent, and we have our own strategy, and this will help us have a win tomorrow."

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The eagerly awaited confrontation appears to be meeting expectations, with apparent psychological manoeuvres already in play, as suggested by the coach's remarks.

AFCON 2023: Overconfident Angola squad shows off dance moves before Nigeria clash

Meanwhile, a TikTok video of the Angola team dancing and celebrating before their match against Nigeria at the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023 went viral.

In the video, the Angolans, who had cruised to the quarter-final with a 3-0 win over Namibia, seemed confident of their chances against Nigeria.

The AFCON team danced to the rhythm of music, showing that they were relaxed as they faced the Super Eagles on Friday at 6pm in a crucial quarter-final game.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Segun Adeyemi avatar

Segun Adeyemi (Current Affairs and Politics Editor) Segun Adeyemi is a journalist with over 9 years of experience as an active field reporter, editor, and editorial manager. He has had stints with Daily Trust newspaper, Daily Nigerian, and News Digest. He currently works as an editor for Legit.ng's current affairs and politics desk. He holds a degree in Mass Communication (Adekunle Ajasin University). He is a certified digital reporter by Reuters, AFP and the co-convener of the annual campus journalism awards. Email: segun.adeyemi@corp.legit.ng.