Moumouni Dagano weighs Baurkina Faso’s title win chances

CAF legend Moumouni Dagano has delved deeper into Burkina Faso’s chances of winning the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Côte d’Ivoire 2023 trophy for the first time in their history.

Burkina Faso finished second in Group D after losing their last game 2-0 to Angola.

Hubert Velud’s side is a blend of experience and youthful talents.

Moumouni Dagano told CAFOnline how proud he is of the team.

“This Burkina Faso team is one that I’m very proud of. There are young players, and it is their first time playing in the Africa Cup of Nations; qualifying is a good thing for them, and I am proud of them.

Dagano was part of the Burkina Faso team that reached the finals in 2013. They eventually lost to Nigeria.

Comparing the current squad to the 2013 squad, the striker, despite admitting and praising the current squad, said the current team can’t match up with the 2013 squad because of inexperience.

“The difference is that this squad is very young, and people give everything and work hard. There were older players with experience during our time, but we can see that these young people are talented, and I think they are doing a great job.

“It is essential to have experienced players who will motivate the squad and everyone around the team.

“In 2013, no one believed in Burkina Faso when we played the first game against Nigeria, and it was a drawn game but a good one. We game everything in our power to win it. We had mature players, and we had a good bench as well.”

He added,” This is the best Africa Cup of Nations I have witnessed; there is joy, and for me, this is the best AFCON, and I’m happy about that.

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TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023 is in the exciting knockout stages

Here are images of the first fixtures from Saturday, 27 January.

Nigeria wins a classic over Cameroon to reach the quarter-finals

Ademola Lookman was the hero as Nigeria beat Cameroon 2-0 in the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Côte d’Ivoire 2023 Round of 16 clash between the continental heavyweights on Saturday.

 After Super Eagles’ critical AFCON round of 16 win over Cameroon

https://youtu.be/mipV6Ned9vM?t=11

Ademola Lookman says his Nigeria team-mates’ collective effort is responsible for the Super Eagles’ win over Cameroon, which helped them secure their place in the quarter-finals of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations on Saturday.

Lookman scored twice as Nigeria defeated Cameroon 2-0 on Saturday at the Felix Houphouët-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan to advance to the quarterfinals.

Lookman, named TotalEnergies Man of the Match, said: “Wow, we’re so happy to qualify for the quarter-finals.

“The more we play together, the more fluid we become. I’m standing here now, but this award reflects the team’s performance.”

The 26-year-old relishes his first TotalEnergies CAF AFCON experience: “I love this atmosphere, it’s incredible. Tonight, our fans pushed us to the end because this was Cameroon, and when you wear the Super Eagles shirt, some games resonate more than others.”

On Friday, Nigeria will face Angola in the quarters after they beat Namibia 3-0 earlier on Saturday.

Lookman added: “Angola are a good team. We’ll analyze them and prepare. The further you go, the tougher it gets, so we’ll take it game by game.”

Nigeria has been searching for their fourth title since 2013. Lookman’s brace brings them one step closer to ending that drought.

Angola’s Man of the Match wants more out of AFCON 2023

Mabululu (second left) helped secure top spot in Group D for Angola at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations

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Angolan forward Jacinto Dala says they deserve to qualify for the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Côte d’Ivoire 2023 quarter-finals.

The Palancas Negras were unstoppable against Namibia as they defeated them 3-0, with Jacinto Dala getting involved in all three goals.

The forward won the TotalEnergies Man of the Match after the incredible display, his second so far.

Dala hailed the performance of his teammates and indicated that they deserved the qualification to the quarter-finals.

“We had a good performance today. The team deserved this qualification, and I’m thrilled we made it happen. I will say the commitment and the involvement of all the players helped me win this man of the match, he said.

The two goals mean Jacinto Dala has now scored four goals in the tournament and is just a goal away from being joint top goalscorer with Emilio Nsue of Equatorial Guinea.

“Scoring goals here is making me happy, and I would love to continue scoring goals in this tournament and getting victories as well,” he added.

Dala double helps Palencas Negras end quarter-final drought at TotalEnergies CAF AFCON

Neblu’s red card did not cost Angola in the end, as the Palancas Negras reached the Afcon quarter-finals for the third time

A brace from striker Jacinto Dala helped Angola reach the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals for the first time in 14 years with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Namibia on Saturday.

Playing in front of a boisterous crowd in Bouake, Palancas Negras controlled the round of 16 ties against the tournament underdogs from the outset.

The Brave Warriors were given a significant advantage when Angola goalkeeper Neblu was sent off for handling outside his area in the 14th minute.

The tone was set by Bethuel Muzeu, crafting the first clear-cut chance. Exploiting a loose pass near Angola’s 18-yard box, Muzeu executed a lob, initiating a one-on-one with goalkeeper Neblu.

Neblu’s attempt to save, extending beyond the 18-yard box, resulted in his expulsion from the game.

Despite being down to 10 men, Angola continued to dictate play and opened the scoring through Gelson Dala following good work from Gilberto and Fredy.

Namibia’s task was even more difficult shortly after defender Lubeni Haukongo received a second booking for a foul on Mabululu.

Angola pounced on the resulting free-kick as Jacinto Dala powered home a header to double the lead before the break.

With Namibia chasing the game in the second half, gaps started to appear, and Jacinto Dala turned provider to set up substitute Mabululu for Angola’s third.

Mabululu maintained his composure to slot home from the edge of the box and cap off an excellent attacking performance from the Palancas Negras.

The result means Angola has reached the last eight of the tournament for the first time since their run to the semi-finals in 2008.

They will face the winner of Nigeria vs. Cameroon in the next round as they look to emulate the achievements of their golden generation 15 years ago.

COACHES REACTION

Collin Benjamin – Namibia head coach

“We started very good. You could see the intention of this team. I think the turnaround was the sending of the Angolan goalkeeper. In my experience in football, this is a situation you wouldn’t want to be in because, after the red card, the opponent will come in more robust, thinking they are a man down; it is a soccer lesson.

And, within the situation, you get a 1-0, 2-0, 3-0, so in the end, I think it’s a well-deserved win for Angola. Congratulations to them, but I feel, as a Namibian, it’s a bitter pill to swallow, but we have to keep our heads up. We have to look forward. If you think about it tomorrow morning, you will realize it took us 26 years to record our first victory in the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON. We came here in 1998, and in 26 years, we passed the group stage to coming to the knockout, so we have to take it step by step”.

Pedro Gonçalves – Angola head coach

“I would like to thank the team for securing this qualification. All the matches we have played are different, and they come with different dynamics, and we saw that today. It was a challenging game and fantastic at the same time. It’s essential to stay resilient and focus on each match as we try to make an effort in each game. I congratulate the team, the staff, and everyone in Angola.

Even if people in the country are having difficulties to go by their duties and work, this victory will put smiles on their faces.. Both teams had nothing to lose. Against Namibia, we went out together with the right strategy and made many mistakes, but we corrected them.

After the red card, it wasn’t easy, but I asked the players to focus on the task they had to do on the field, and this was the reason we created more chances, kept our calmness, and played well at the end.

When we started, people didn’t believe in my plans or even personal things that had nothing to do with work. But I have continued with my objectives, and now we are here. I won’t say we will win the trophy, but we will continue to dream”.

Statistics

Angola has qualified for the quarter-finals of the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON for the first time in 14 years.

MATCH FACTS

• For the first time in their history, Angola has won a TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations game by a three-goal margin.

• Angola has won their first-ever knockout stage game at the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations. They’ll progress to the quarter-finals for the third time in their history after 2008 and 2010 (no last 16 rounds in these editions).

• Namibia has lost 38% of its TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations games (5/13) by at least three goals, the highest percentage of any team in the tournament’s history.

• Neblú (Angola) was sent off after 17 minutes; no goalkeeper had ever been shown a red card that early in a TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations game since Opta collected this data (2010). He’s the first goalkeeper to receive a red card for a handball foul in an AFCON match since Abdoulaye Soulama for Burkina Faso in 2013.

• Angola vs. Namibia is the first TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations game with two players sent off before half-time since Opta collected this data (2010).

• Gelson Dala is the first player from Angola to score two braces in the same TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations tournament.

• Fredy (Angola) has three assists in this TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations – no player has more. Since Opta collected this data (2010), he’s the first Angolan to assist two goals in the same AFCON game and three in a single tournament.

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To AFCON 2023 quarter-finals

 By Rasheed Adewuyi

A fearless Nigerian side marched assuredly into the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals after a revving up into the fifth-gear performance that eliminated Cameroon from the continent’s flagship football championship on Saturday.

The Super Eagles, who took seven out of the maximum nine points from their group phase matches, stepped onto the relatively familiar turf of the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny to take on Cameroon for one of the AFCON 2023 quarter-final tickets.

They had taken the lead with assurance and mindset when Semi Ajayi swept the ball home from a goalmouth melee. Though Moroccan referee Redouane Jiyed initially whistled for a goal advantage for Nigeria, but was summoned by the Video Assistant Referee to watch the action again and afterward ruled out the strike.

Nigeria’s twin arsenal in Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman did not relent. In the 35th minute, Africa Player-of-the-Year Osimhen picked the pocket of a dithering defender, Oumar Gonzalez, and threaded the ball through to Lookman, who shot past Fabrice Ondoa in Cameroon’s goalpost from close range to give Nigeria the lead.

After the recess, Nigeria continued where they had left off in the first period, and Lookman blasted over the sticks from a 22-yard free-kick. Five minutes later, Lookman freed Osimhen, but the Super Eagles’ number nine shirt got too much purchase on the ball, and Ondoa cleared.

Cameroon called goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali to duty in the 71^st minute with a fierce free-kick, but the goaltender punched clear. Nwabali was injured in another goalmouth melee and had to be substituted for Francis Uzoho.

Five minutes from the end, a one-two of Osimhen and Lookman from the left saw the ball roll to Olaoluwa Aina in the box, but his effort was too weak, allowing Ondoa to block with his leg.

On the dot of 90 minutes, Calvin Bassey and Lookman combined from the left, and with the Cameroonian defense bewildered, Lookman placed the ball to the far left of Ondoa for his, and Nigeria’s, second goal of the night, sending the crowd into wild delirium.

“It was a solid performance, and Nigeria is proud of this team. They did a great job tonight, and the country looks forward to the quarter-finals with high expectations,” President of NFF, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, said after the final whistle.

The three-time champions, who knocked out Cameroon from the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Round 16, will now confront Angola’s Palancas Negras (Black Levers) in the quarter-finals on Friday. Venue is the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan.