In their last game in CAF AFCON Group A

Nigeria will play their last TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Group A match against Guinea Bissau on Monday, 22 January, to secure nothing less than a victory.

Defeated 2-0 by Cote d’Ivoire in the opening match and 4-2 by Equatorial Guinea in their second, the Djurtus will take their last lap of honor against Nigeria with the hope of causing an upset.

Guinea Bissau will have their 1-0 win over the Super Eagles in Abuja for the qualifiers at the back of their minds.

“Indeed, we are going to base ourselves on this match. We have analyzed the game of the Super Eagles well, and we hope to make our exit successful without having had a good tournament,” Baciro Condé said ahead of the game.

For its part, Nigeria does not want to relive the same scenario it experienced during the qualifiers against Guinea Bissau.

“What matters is the present. We focus on the present and the future. We have confidence in ourselves. We are aiming for first place, which Equatorial Guinea and Cote d’Ivoire also occupy; it is up to us to remain vigilant,” José Peseiro explained.

Defender Kenneth Omeruo stated their mission in Côte D’Ivoire was to win the trophy and nothing else.

“Our objective is clear. Bring the cup home. It’s been a while since we added a trophy to our cabinet, which is unacceptable when you’re wearing a green shirt. I will not say that our defeat against them was accidental, but it does not reflect the spirit which reigns in our camp today. We are hungry for victory; we must put everything in place to achieve our ambitions.”

Guinea-Bissau vs Nigeria 

Monday, 22 January

Stade Félix Houphouët Boigny

17h00 

AFCON 2023: José Peseiro says Nigeria is determined to take first place in group A

Getty Images

By Rasgeed Adewuyi

Coach José Santos Peseiro insisted on Sunday that despite looking good for a spot in the Round of 16 with their four points following the defeat of host nation Cote d’Ivoire on Thursday, Nigeria will not take their feet off the pedal when they clash with Guinea Bissau on Monday evening.

“We defeated Cote d’Ivoire, but that is already in the past. We know that in football, what counts is the moment. We must temper our confidence and put in more work as required. We must not rest.

“We want to take the first place, and for that, we must do battle. We must do what is necessary to accomplish our mission tomorrow,” Peseiro said at the pre-match conference at the Palais de la Culture in the Treichville area of Abidjan on Sunday.  

Peseiro will lead Nigeria to come face-to-face with the only team to have beaten his Super Eagles in a competitive match since he took the reins of the three-time African champions 20 months ago.

With four points from their first two matches, including a morale-pumping victory over the host nation and one of the favorites, the Eagles are walking with springs in their steps at their Pullman Hotel Abidjan and at their training sessions at the École National de la Police. But Peseiro cautions that the work is not yet done and there is utmost need for level heads.

“We have to forget that we defeated the host nation. There is a lot more work to be done. We want to be here for the long haul,” he told thenff.com after the press conference.

Peseiro won his first two competitive games with the Super Eagles – a 2-1 defeat of Sierra Leone in Abuja and a record-breaking international win of 10—0 against Sao Tome and Principe in Agadir, Morocco, in June 2022.

However, the Wild Dogs stepped on Nigeria soil and pipped the Eagles 1-0 in an AFCON 2023 qualifier. Nigeria repaid the compliment a few days later in Bissau, but the Portuguese trainer says the Portuguese-speaking nation still owes him a clapback.

“We are not thinking about revenge, but we are here to top the group, and they are in our sights. We must do what has to be done. Guinea Bissau has no point and will play with freedom when a team becomes dangerous.”

Both teams clash at the Stade Félix Houphoüet-Boigny in central Abidjan from 5 pm CIV time on Monday, which is 6 pm Nigeria time.

In their other competitive games under Peseiro, the Eagles have defeated Sierra Leone 3-2 in Monrovia, beaten Sao Tome and Principe 6-0 in Uyo, drawn 1-1 with Lesotho and Zimbabwe in FIFA World Cup qualifiers, and drawn 1-1 with Equatorial Guinea while pipping Cote d’Ivoire 1-0 here at the AFCON.

Monday’s crucial game, which will be Nigeria’s 100^th match at the Africa Cup of Nations since a group phase encounter against Egypt in nearby Ghana in 1963, will see the Super Eagles finish top of group A with a win, as long as Equatorial Guinea, also on four points, do not humiliate host nation Cote d’Ivoire at an encounter holding simultaneously at the Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara in Ebimpe.

 After Angola’s win over Mauritania

Angola’s head coach, Pedro Gonçalves, hopes his side will qualify following their win over Mauritania in the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Côte d’Ivoire 2023.

The Palancas Negras recorded their first win in the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON Côte d’Ivoire 2023 against Mauritania in a five-goal thriller.

Pedro Gonçalves heaped praises on the Mauritanian team after the win.

“We played against a tremendous Mauritanian team; they will still have much to prove; they are a fighter.

“It was a spectacular and very committed match. This vital victory allows us to move into the lead with a favorable goal difference compared to Burkina Faso.

With 4 points at the top of Group D, Angola is now seeking qualification for the knockout phase.

“We will try to maintain the momentum by seeking qualification in the next round. I want to pay tribute to my players who gave the best of themselves while remaining patient.

“We have a well-defined tactical plan that we will implement for the decisive match against Burkina Faso,” he added.

Angola will play Burkina Faso in their last group game at the Charles Konan Banny Stadium stadium in Yamoussoukro on Tuesday, January 23.