The group stage produced everything expected of the grit the CAF Africa Cup of Nations is made of; stellar shocks, goals, records, history, and passionate fans turning up at match venues.With sudden-death matches between some of Africa’s top sides, the Round of 16 promises pulsating action and drama as heavy favorites and plucky underdogs collide.To get us started on Saturday, two matches are lined up with African giants Nigeria and Cameroon going neck to neck for a place in the last eight while South African neighbors Angola and Namibia also lock horns not only for the quarter-finals slots but also for the bragging rights back at home.Goals. Galore. 🔥The best goals from the #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 group stages. 😉@1xBet_Eng pic.twitter.com/2q8eK7UZTv— CAF (@CAF_Online) January 26, 2024 Angola vs Namibia The round of 16 games will start with Angola and Namibia facing each other at Stade de la Paix in Bouake at 8.00 PM EAT.Angola managed to top Group D with 7 points. They recorded wins over Mauritania and Burkina Faso and a draw with Algeria. Namibia on the other hand recorded their first and only win in the history of AFCON, the victory played a vital role in their qualification to the knockout phase.Pedro Goncalves’s side have been aided by their goalscoring prowess in a goal-laden tournament, with their six strikes matching their tally from 2012 (four), 2013 (one), and 2019 (one) combined. That undoubtedly stands the Palancas Negras in good stead to make it past Namibia as they seek a quarter-final meeting with either Nigeria or Cameroon in the next round.The Brave Warriors are not expected to make it easy for Angola, even if they have no experience at this stage of the Cup of Nations which the Palancas Negras head coach Goncalves expects. “For sure, it will be very tough but I have confidence everybody will do a great job. Namibia is a very powerful team, they are very brave. We need to be considerate in our passing. We have to be balanced because if we lose our balance, Namibia can be dangerous for us,” he told CAF Online.The Brave Warriors training on Friday ahead of Saturday’s match against Angola in Bouake. Photos: Helge Schütz pic.twitter.com/dIYNt1KoK0— The Namibian (@TheNamibian) January 26, 2024 His Namibia counterpart Collin Benjamin is banking on the experience in his squad to shatter the dreams of the Angolans and write more history with the Brave Warriors.“We have some good technical players with big hearts and there is the signature of the coach, there is some players who have been with the team since 2019, and there is continuity and security. We are a very good team; our boys are happy to be here and there is more fun. It’s the determination. it’s ambition, it’s mentality, these boys want to succeed and they understand everything about the team. We are aware of what to do, it is very important to have a stable defense, “We want to be part of the best 16 teams in Africa and definitely, we are among the best 16, it is a motivation in itself. I don’t remember if Namibia will go into any game with the odds favoring us, it will always go against us. I agree that there is no small team left in the tournament anymore. Our coaches are educated to know that players are playing at good levels, and are hungry.”##NAJAVA_MECA_7829044##Nigeria vs Cameroon Nigeria and Cameroon renew Africa Cup of Nations hostilities in the round of 16 at Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium, an arena that brings back many memories for both teams. It was in fact in this iconic arena that the Indomitable Lions won their very first trophy in the competition in 1984 against the Super Eagles by 3-1. The match starts at 11:00 PM EAT.The Super Eagles finished second behind Equatorial Guinea in Group A, while Rigobert Song’s men relied on a late comeback against The Gambia to progress behind a perfect Senegal in Group C.The Super Eagles have however dominated the most recent meetings between the two sides. They claimed victory during the quarter-finals in the 2004 edition played in Tunisia, as well as the round of 16 win during the 2019 showpiece in Egypt.Speaking ahead of the match the Super Eagles head coach José Peseiro noted he anticipates a tough match going by the standards of the opponents, however remained optimistic that history will not repeat itself at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny.“It’s a difficult match. We are in the round of 16 and playing against a great team. We don’t want to concede, we want to score a goal and maintain our lead. We expect that history will not repeat itself at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny. Even if the statistics are not for us, we are going to play. It is a mission that has been entrusted to us and we are going to try to carry it out. We want to win; we want to stay in this tournament until the end.”On his side, the indomitable Lions coach Song suggested he will do everything it takes to grab a win over the familiar foes.“We know what we need to do and where we need to go. We have prepared and remain focused. We started slowly, moving up gradually. At this stage of the competition, I think there are no more things to look for. In three matches, I no longer have the right to calculate, I have to correct what didn’t work. I will do everything necessary to obtain a positive result.”##NAJAVA_MECA_7828080##Bracing up for our next encounter against our old rivals, The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon in Abidjan in the R16#soarsupereagles #LetsDoItAgain #ourafcon #africantootball #afcon2023 pic.twitter.com/319aPPCBpb— 🇳🇬 Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) January 24, 2024 AFCON 2023- LAST 1620.00: (2.10) Angola (3.20) Namibia (3.80)23.00: (2.10) Nigeria (3.20) Cameroon (3.80)***odds are subject to change
