A first half goal by Super Eagles striker, Ademola Lookman, has earned Nigeria a narrow victory over a spirited Angola to advance to the semifinal stage of the ongoing 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Ivory Coast, on Friday night.
The Atalanta winger turned in Moses Simon’s cross four minutes before half-time to give a Nigeria lead.
Bidding to reach their first-ever AFCON semi-final, Angola made a bright start and were denied in the fourth minute when Stanley Nwabali kept out Mabululu’s close-range volley.
However, it was Nigeria who hit the front in the 41st minute. Simon skipped away from Kialonda Gaspar’s sliding challenge and squared the ball for Lookman to fire into the roof of the net.
Angola almost responded just before the hour mark. Substitute Zine latched onto Show’s throughball and beat Nwabali, only to see his first-time shot bounce back off the post.
Though VAR denied Victor Osimhen, whose header from Lookman’s free-kick was chalked off for offside, Nigeria’s Eagles held out to secure their passage into the semi-finals.
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