AFCON 2023: Nigerian Politicians Jet Out to Ivory Coast to Cheer Super Eagles

• Godswill Akpabio has flown to Ivory Coast to support the Super Eagles
• The Senate President leads the delegation of politicians to Ivory Coast
• Nigeria will tackle Angola in the first AFCON 2023 quarter-final tie on Friday

The Super Eagles are assured of the backing and support of top Nigerian politicians as the country aims to secure a spot in the Semi-final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

The three-time AFCON winners will tackle Angola on Friday, February 2, at the 33,000-capacity Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium, Abidjan, in the first quarter-final fixture of the competition.

According to Soccernet, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu have flown to Ivory Coast to cheer the Super Eagles to victory against the Black Antelopes.

Also, present in Ivory Coast to watch the crucial Super Eagles match include the Principal Officers of the House and Senate and members of sports committees while President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will closely monitor the team’s progress.

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Football

Nigeria has three wins and five draws versus Angola, while the Central Africans have only two wins, the most recent coming in a 2004 World Cup qualification match against Nigeria.

Angola coach tips Nigeria for AFCON

Meanwhile, Angola coach Pedro Gonçalves has named the Super Eagles of Nigeria and Ivory Coast as the biggest contenders to win the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, Complete Sports reports.

Goncalves noted that the elimination of Egypt, Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, and Algeria from the competition has cleared the pathway for Nigeria or the hosts to win the tournament eventually.

Nigeria will take on Angola in the first quarter-final fixture on Friday, while hosts Ivory Coast will confront Mali for a chance to seal a semi-final ticket on Saturday, February 3.

Super Eagles players receive $30,000

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that each player of the Super Eagles will receive an amount of $30,000 from the Nigeria Football Federation for qualifying for the knockout stages of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

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Football

Each player was supposed to receive a $5,000 per-match incentive on the way to the final, but the football body substituted this with a lump sum payout for each round of the competition.

Nigeria advanced to the Round of 16 after finishing second in Group A with seven points, trailing Equatorial Guinea but ahead of Guinea-Bissau and the hosts, Ivory Coast.