AFCON 2023: Nigeria were the better side, admits Angola coach Pedro Goncalves

By Saheed Afolabi

Angola head coach, Pedro Goncalves admitted Nigeria were the better side in their 2023 Africa Cup Of Nations (AFCON) quarter final defeat at the Felix Houphouët-Boigny stadium, Abidjan.

Ademola Lookman 41st minute strike sent the Palancas Negras packing from the AFCON.

Goncalves was full of praise for the Super Eagles attributing their strong and compact side to the team’s impressive run in the Africa showpiece.

He lamented the way they conceded the goal against Nigeria blaming it on the player injured without having adequate time to make a substantive replacement.

“I would like to congratulate the Nigerian team. They have a very strong team. Today we lost and Nigeria deserves the win. It was a demanding game,” Goncalves said during the post match presser.

” This is our fifth match since the beginning of this tournament. Nigeria’s goal came at a period when we had a player injured giving out opponents the chance to score. We tried to make a substitution with a complimentary player.

“The player that came in ought to create more goal scoring chances. We tried what we could and went seeking goals but were just not lucky.

“The Nigerian team defended very well. We had chances to score but the Nigerian team were very strong. When you play against a team like Nigeria, you have to face reality.”

The Super Eagles will fancy a place in the AFCON final when they take on their semifinal opponent in Bouake.