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After a gruelling Round of 16, the Africa Cup of Nations will enter the quarterfinals stage on Friday, with Angola and Nigeria clashing in the first match.

Although Nigeria are seen as the favourites, Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi has warned that their Southern African rivals should not be underestimated.

The former Arsenal midfielder has said that Angola should be respected given how they have performed in the ongoing competition in Ivory Coast.

“We watched the videos. It will be a tough match. They won the last match with a large score, and we also defended well. We will give everything on the field to reach the semi-finals.

“We have to respect Angola a lot. If they are at this stage of the competition, it means they are a great team. We need the entire team to defend. It won’t be easy because it’s a team that scores a lot. I rely on my teammates to meet the challenge,” Iwobi told CAFOnline.

Iwobi’s coach sentiments

On his part, Nigeria head coach Jose Peseiro said they will show commitment in their fight for a semifinal slot.

“It’s a quarter-final match. Both teams want to reach the semi-finals. It will be a tough match; we will bring commitment and sacrifice to try to overcome this great team, even if it’s not a big name, to reach the semi-final.

“Angola is not a big name in Africa, but they play very well. They are not here by luck; they have shown a lot of capability to reach the quarterfinals. Our team has scored five goals in four matches so far. We will attack with 11 and defend with 11 as well,” the Portuguese tactician said.

Angola’s Pedro Goncalves said the match against the Super Eagles means a lot for them.

“This match means a lot for our team and for the entire Angolan nation, which has dreamed for years of seeing the team at this stage of the competition. We will face Nigeria, a great nation in African football.

This match is an opportunity to show our worth; we have worked and given our all to reach this level of competition. I congratulate my team, which has always been dedicated. The match is an opportunity to show that we have evolved,” Goncalves said.