As we proceed to the business end of AFCON 2023 following a dramatic group stage and last-16 knockouts, eight teams have battled and earnt their place in the quarterfinals.
With Ghana, Tunisia, Egypt, and Algeria all knocked out of the competition, this year’s trophy is well and truly up for grabs. The quarterfinals will take place on the Friday 2nd and Saturday 3rd February.
We preview one quarterfinal from each day below.
Nigeria vs Angola – Friday 17:00
Having been the first team to qualify for the quarterfinals after thrashing Namibia, Angola (24/5) now face Nigeria in Friday’s quarterfinal, who were tipped as one of the favourites before the group stages of the competition. Angola have managed to progress from the group stages for the first time in 14 years and should they continue their hot streak, they will advance to the semifinals for the first time in their history.
Nigeria are certainly the favourites going into this game at 13/20, having gone unbeaten so far in their AFCON campaign and beating some decent opposition in Cameroon and hosts Ivory Coast. Boasting three clean sheets in all three of their victories, they will be a force to be reckoned with in defence as well as having some key attacking players who will be sure to make a difference. It can be said that Nigeria have had a more testing run so far in the competition than their opponents, so one can imagine that they should be better prepared for this game.
Angola have some very talented players who will be looking to etch their names on the scoresheet should they break down the Nigerian defence. The first of which is Gelson Dala (9/2) at the forefront of Angola’s attacking prowess, scoring four goals for his country so far in their campaign. Another to keep an eye on is Mabululu (9/2), who has scored in three of their four games and poses a significant threat in front of goal, showing composure from the penalty spot as well as in open play.
Nigeria have a pretty solid outfit when it comes to goalscorers, and they’re yet to fully unleash their potential on the pitch. Their key attacking players who will be looking to hit the back of the net include Napoli frontman Victor Osimhen (23/20) and fellow Serie A forward Ademola Lookman (13/5), the latter of whom managed to score a brace in their last fixture against Cameroon. Should the Nigerians find their rhythm, we could see a real difference in class between the two teams despite Angola’s impressive run so far.
Mali vs Ivory Coast – Saturday 17:00
Mali have been surprising contenders in recent years but have more than earnt their spot in the quarterfinals after topping their group, despite only winning one game against other quarterfinalists South Africa. They scraped a 2-1 victory in the round of 16 to progress further in the competition following a fortunate own goal by Burkina Faso defender Edmond Tapsoba in the opening minutes of the game – they go into the quarterfinals as the underdogs at 5/2.
Despite a lucky run in the competition so far, only picking up three points in the group stage, Ivory Coast’s third-place finish in the groups allowed them to enter the round of 16 against Senegal. They have since dismissed the reigning champions and progressed into the quarterfinals following a 5-4 win on penalties, and the hosts have their eyes set on the semis as they look to outclass their north-African rivals Mali, starting as the 23/20 favourites to do so.
One to watch for Mali ahead of this game will be Lassine Sinayoko, who has already scored three times for his country in the competition and is 11/4 to net again on Friday. Next in the betting to score is recent Mali call-up Youssoufou Niakaté at 7/2. This game could be theirs for the taking if they further amp up their performances and put the pressure on an Ivory Coast side who have displayed fragilities in this competition despite making it this far.
The host nation will pull no punches to appease the thousands of fans who will attend the quarterfinal, with Borussia Dortmund frontman Sebastian Haller keen to get his team in front at 27/10. In behind Haller are both Karim Konate and Jean-Philippe Krasso at 14/5, with Krasso scoring in their crucial opening 2-0 win against Guinea-Bissau in the group stage.
We can expect two fantastic games here as well as the other two, capable of presenting some quality football along with the vibrant atmosphere the AFCON fans bring time and time again.
