Head Coach José Peseiro has warned his Tremendous Eagles to maintain a cool head and handle the euphoria of their quarter-final qualification as they face a troublesome final eight match in opposition to Angolan facet Palancas Negras on Friday.
The Portuguese gaffer instructed thenff.com on Monday that he has continued to sing to the gamers that the workforce nonetheless must win one thing, and that full consciousness and focus have to be activated forward of the night match on the Stade Félix Houphouet-Boigny.
“I inform them that we’re solely within the final eight, that we nonetheless have a protracted approach to go, and that the additional we go, the harder the opposition turns into. We've performed 4 video games and received three, so we have to keep our state of play as we transfer ahead.
“Our philosophy is that there aren’t any small groups right here on the African Cup of Nations. Each workforce certified to be right here, and each workforce within the knockout phases certified from a gaggle stage. Any workforce within the final eight is nice sufficient for the trophy. We consider we’re adequate for the trophy, however we now have to maintain working and doing our greatest on match days.”
The Negras eradicated Namibia's Courageous Warriors with a 3-0 thrashing within the spherical of 16, with Gelson Dala hitting a brace in opposition to the regional rivals on the Stade de la Paix in Bouake.
On-field captain William Ekong instructed thenff.com that the match in opposition to Angola might be the hardest but for the Eagles, however he and his teammates are prepared for battle.
“We are able to't count on simple video games anymore. In actuality, there have been no simple matches right here. We've performed Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau and Cameroon, and none have turned out to be picnics. From the quarter-finals onwards it turns into much more troublesome, as a result of all groups assume they’re adequate for the trophy.
“We’re discussing with one another what we should always do. There is no such thing as a relaxation on our oars. We noticed Guinea remove Equatorial Guinea, who emerged as the perfect workforce within the group stage. Soccer is like that. We now have to be alert all through the interval and do our greatest to transform the alternatives we create.”
Winger Moses Simon additionally admitted on Friday that it will not be a stroll within the park on the Stade Félix Houphouet-Boigny.
“Will probably be a troublesome match, like those in opposition to Ivory Coast and Cameroon, and even in opposition to Equatorial Guinea. We now have to be at our greatest and give attention to the prize.”
Clashes between Nigeria and Angola on the worldwide stage have been uncommon, however Nigeria has some scores to settle with the southern African nation.
Angola defeated Nigeria to achieve the ultimate spherical of the qualifying collection for the 1990 FIFA World Cup closing in Italy, however the second leg in Nigeria, the place the Eagles received 1–0, was below a cloud of tragedy when playmaker Samuel Okwaraji collapsed and 13 minutes died. from the tip on Diverse12, 1989. A number of different soccer followers had been killed in a stampede that adopted the match. The primary leg in Luanda ended 2-2.
Angola additionally famously stopped Nigeria from reaching the ultimate of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, when the Eagles adopted up a 0-1 defeat in Luanda in June 2005 to attract 1-1 in opposition to the Negras in sunny Sani Abacha- stadium.
