Ola Aina, defender for the Super Eagles, is anticipating a challenging matchup with the Angolan Palancas Negras.
The West Africans and Pedro Goncalves’ team will play a quarterfinal match on Friday at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan.
With three victories from four games played thus far in the current 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, the Palancas Negras have shown promise.
Aina acknowledged that in order to defeat the Angolans, the Super Eagles will need to perform at their peak.
“We will approach the game as we have been doing since the start of the tournament. Same determination and focus,” Aina told reporters after the team’s training session at the Police College, Cocody, Abidjan, on Monday night.
“Angola is a strong team, they did well in the group stage and are no pushovers. It’s going to be a tough game for us.
“We will keep working hard in training ahead of the game. Hopefully we will get things right on matchday.”
