AFCON 2023: South Africa Coach Snubs Victor Osimhen, Names Another As Nigeria’s Deadliest Forward

• The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals are on the horizon
• Nigeria are poised to square off against South Africa’s Bafana Bafana
• Hugo Broos has identified Nigeria’s most dangerous forward ahead of the clash

The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) reaches its thrilling semi-final phase with a cracker of a fixture on the card. The Super Eagles of Nigeria are poised to renew their rivalry with South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.

The build-up to this electrifying encounter has sparked conversations across the continent's footballing landscape. Fans and stakeholders from both camps are exuding confidence about the prospects of their respective teams clinching victory to secure a coveted spot in the tournament's final.

Nonetheless, as conversations regarding the fixture continue to herald the scenes, coach of the South African national team Hugo Broos has joined in on the pre-match talks, as he recently aired his take on whom he considers the most dangerous forward of Nigeria’s Super Eagles.

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Hugo Broos on Nigeria’s forwards

The 71-year-old, as reported by OwnGoalNigeria, delved into the discussion surrounding the three-time Cup of Nations champions. He emphasised the steady improvement exhibited by the team since their initial draw against the Nzalang Nacional of Equatorial Guinea, underlining their offensive prowess as a key strength.

“I think Nigeria is a team that have become better and better. When I saw them against Angola, I saw a good team, with a very good striker and a few other good players.”

When quizzed about the most dangerous Super Eagles star his side must keep an eye on in the clash, the Spetuagenerian stated:

“[Ademola] Lookman, the one who scored the goal, a very good player. We have to analyse a bit more because we didn’t have the time to do so ahead of our quarter-final clash. We will analyse as soon as we can, so we can use their weakness against them, but also be fully aware of the qualities they possess.”

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The 2017 AFCON winning coach's preference for Lookman may come as a surprise. Still, it's worth noting that statistically, the Atalanta forward has been Nigeria's most potent attacker, boasting three goals and an assist in five matches at the tournament.

Nigeria and South Africa clash for the first time since 2019 at the Stade de Bouake on January 7.

Peter Ijeh backs Peseiro’s playing style

In another report, Sports Brief stated that former Nigeria Super Eagles striker, Peter Ijeh, has endorsed coach Jose Peseiro's recently adopted playing style.

Nigeria has transitioned from their anticipated high-scoring attacking approach to a more astute defensive pattern since the draw against Equatorial Guinea. The style, recently implemented by Peseiro, has garnered attention and sparked discussion among many fans of the Nigerian team.