Troost-Ekong and Simon exercise caution against Angola
Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong, acknowledges that their upcoming quarter-final match against Angola on Friday could present the team with their most challenging test yet. However, he asserts that the team will be prepared for the battle.
Troost-Ekong, who is nearing his second semi-final appearance at the AFCON, cautions that the Eagles must enhance their clinical finishing as they gear up to face Angola in their fifth AFCON encounter.
With one win and two draws each in their last four meetings at the tournament, Troost-Ekong stated in a release, "We can no longer expect any easy games."
"In reality, there haven't been any straightforward matches here. We've faced Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast, Guinea Bissau, and Cameroon, and none of them turned out to be a walk in the park.
"As we head into the quarter-finals, the competition will intensify because every team will believe they are capable of winning the trophy.
"We are in discussions within the team about what needs to be done. There is no complacency on our part. We witnessed Guinea eliminating Equatorial Guinea, which topped Group A as the best team."
"Football is unpredictable. We need to stay alert throughout and make the most of the chances we create."
Winger Moses Simon also acknowledged that the match at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny on Friday won't be easy.
"It's going to be a tough game, similar to the ones against Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, and even Equatorial Guinea. We need to be at our best and keep our eyes on the prize."
Encounters between Nigeria and Angola at the international level have been infrequent, but Nigeria has some unresolved matters with the southern African nation.
In a tragic incident, the late Nigerian midfielder Samuel Okwaraji collapsed and passed away during a 1990 World Cup qualifier against Angola on August 12, 1989, leading to the Eagles failing to qualify for the Mundial.
Angola also notably thwarted Nigeria's bid to reach the 2006 World Cup finals, defeating the three-time African champions 1-0 in Luanda and holding them to a 1-1 draw at the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano, in 2005.
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