AFCON 2023: Ex-International Charges Super Eagles To Be Cohesive Against Angola

Felix Owolabi, a former international, has urged the Super Eagles to concentrate on playing as a team as they take on Angola in the current 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) quarterfinal in Cote d’Ivoire.

Owolabi, who was a part of the 1980 Green Eagles squad that won the AFCON, stated as much during a Thursday interview in Lagos with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

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According to NAN, the Super Eagles and the Stable Antelope will square off on Friday, February 2 at 6 p.m. at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

He said that with a solid team spirit, the Super Eagles will qualify from the quarterfinal stage to the semifinal.

“A solid team spirit will always beat any tactical formation. In my opinion, I believe once the boys understand themselves on the pitch, everything else falls into place.

“If you check the Super Eagles, one will see that they didn’t play well in the group stage, but the more they have played, the more the players understand each other’s patterns.

“As the competition progresses, so does their understanding of each other’s game. Playing cohesively as a team will always supersede any formation,” he said.

The Super Eagles of Cameroon overcame the Indomitable Lions 2-0 to advance to the quarterfinals, while Angola triumphed 3-0 over Namibia, according to NAN.

According to Owolabi, Nigerians would embrace the Eagles if they performed as well as they did against Cameroon.

“Imagine if they play even better than they did against Cameroon in the round of 16; that will be impressive; the Super Eagles will become Nigeria’s sweetheart again,” he said. 

NAN.