AFCON: Nigeria vs Angola Quarter-Final Odds & Preview
First Quarter-Final on Friday
Battle-Tested Nigeria Take on Angola
Following a 1-1 draw vs. Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria has rattled off three straight wins in the Africa Cup of Nations. On Friday, the Super Eagles take on Angola in the first AFCON Quarter-Final matchup. Angola, like Nigeria, is unbeaten in the tournament so far and blew away Namibia 3-0 in the round of 16. Let’s check out the Nigeria vs Angola Quarter-final odds for what should be an entertaining match.
Nigeria vs Angola
Location: Stade Félix Houphouët Boigny, Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Day/Time:
Nigeria vs Angola: Head-to-Head
Nigeria and Angola haven’t met at the Africa Cup of Nations since 2003 and not in a full international match since 2005. In the group stage in 2003, the two sides drew 2-2 and three of the last four senior meetings have finished all square. Nigeria did defeat Angola in the 2018 African Nations Championship but the competition only features players who play in their country’s domestic league. So, Nigeria’s last full win over Angola was in 1989 on the FIFA World Cup schedule for qualifiers.
Nigeria Shutting Down Opponents
Since a 1-1 draw vs. Equatorial Guinea in their Africa Cup of Nations opener, Nigeria has kept three straight clean sheets. They took down Ivory Coast and Guinea-Bissau by 1-0 scorelines to finish second place in Group A. In the round of 16, three-time champions Nigeria went up against five-time champions Cameroon. With some excellent pressing, reigning African Footballer of the Year Victor Osimhen created the first goal.
He picked the pocket of a Cameroon defender and squared the ball to Ademola Lookman, who finished past Cameroon keeper Fabrice Ondoa. Nigeria didn’t allow a single shot on target in the match and Lookman doubled their lead in the 90th minute by finishing off an Alex Iwobi cross. The Super Eagles are now one of the favorites to win the tournament. However, Nigeria goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali went off injured in the match vs. Cameroon and it’s unclear if he’ll be able to suit up for this match. If not, Francis Uzoho will fill in.
Currently, the Nigeria vs Angola Quarter-final odds price the Super Eagles as -125 favorites in this rare meeting vs. Angola. Nigeria did have some shaky results in the lead up to the tournament but their defense has been superb. The Super Eagles also finished first in the Group A Africa Cup of Nations Qualification standings, with a +18 goal difference in just six games.
Angola Make History
In a challenging Group D, Angola managed to survive unscathed. The Palancas Negras managed to finish in the first place, beating out Algeria, Burkina Faso, and Mauritania. Angola drew 1-1 with Algeria in their first match as Mabululu came on as a sub and equalized on a penalty. Gelson Dala scored twice in the subsequent 3-2 win over Mauritania and Angola clinched the group with a 2-0 victory vs. Burkina Faso. Their biggest-ever win was at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Angola took on Namibia in the round of 16 and came away with their biggest-ever victory in an AFCON match. Despite goalkeeper Neblu’s 17th minute red card, Gelson scored two first half goals. With Namibia also down to ten men, Mabululu got his third goal of the tournament to seal the 3-0 victory. Angola has been a surprisingly good pick for soccer betting during the tournament.
This is the first-ever time Angola has won more than one match at an Africa Cup of Nations and they’re not to be taken lightly. Gelson currently ranks second in the tournament, with four goals, while midfielder Fredy is the joint-assists leader, with three. This is just Angola’s third-ever appearance at an Africa Cup of Nations Quarter-final.
Nigeria vs Angola Analysis & Odds
Nigeria have reached the Semifinal in three of their last four appearances at the Africa Cup of Nations. This is an excellent opportunity for the Super Eagles to get back to where they belong, as they crashed out in the round of 16 a couple of years ago. Should Angola win, it would mark their first appearance in the Semis.
Here, the Nigeria vs Angola Quarter-final odds price the Super Eagles as -125 ATS and moneyline favorites to win in 90-minutes. Meanwhile, Angola comes in as +380 underdogs as a draw sits at +220. Nigeria have gone over five hours of play without conceding a goal and it shouldn’t be easy for Angola to break them down. Still, Angola has scored eight goals in their last three games.
Over 1.5 goals display -190 odds for the first Quarter-final matchup on Friday. Bettors can also take Angola +0.5 at -105 odds as they’re on a ten-game unbeaten streak, in all competitions. Nigeria undoubtedly has the more talented roster but bigger surprises have happened in AFCON before.
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