In a thrilling quarterfinal match at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Ademola Lookman, the Atalanta winger, proved to be the hero for Nigeria’s Super Eagles as they secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Angola at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny stadium.
The action-packed encounter saw Lookman showcasing his fine form, scoring the decisive goal in the 41st minute.
The breakthrough came after Simon Moses executed a brilliant run on the right flank, delivering a left-footed shot that found the back of Angola’s net, sending the Super Eagles into the semifinals.
Despite Angola’s early attempts to score within the first 10 minutes, Nigeria’s goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, who passed a late fitness test, made crucial saves to keep the opponents at bay.
Lookman’s goal gave the Super Eagles a well-deserved 1-0 lead at halftime, reflecting their dominance in the first half.
Nigeria continued to press for a second goal as the second half commenced. Zini, a substitute for Angola, came close to equalizing but hit the post.
Osimhen, a key player causing constant trouble for the Angola defence, thought he had doubled Nigeria’s lead with a beautiful header in the 75th minute. However, his goal was disallowed after a VAR review.
With this hard-fought victory, Nigeria advances to the semifinals and will face the winner of the quarterfinal clash between Cape Verde and South Africa on Wednesday.
