AFCON 2023: 'We want to play in the final third' - Peseiro opens up on Super Eagles approach against Angola

This historic encounter will take place at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan on February 2nd, marking the first-ever meeting between the two teams in AFCON history. 

While Nigeria boasts a rich AFCON pedigree as three-time champions, they find themselves in the bookmakers' favour against an Angolan side that has never reached the last-four stage.

Peseiro is resolute in his conviction that, as the match approaches, both Nigeria and Angola stand on equal footing. He firmly believes that when the final whistle blows, the odds of victory are equally balanced for both teams. 

When the favourite tag was suggested, he said as reported by Soccernet, "Ok, I believe in my team, we believe in our team... For me, tomorrow, you go there, start 0-0, you want to score, you want to suffer, you want to score goals, only that."

In an intriguing perspective, Peseiro regards this quarterfinal bout as Nigeria's second final in the tournament, with the Round-of-16 victory over Cameroon being the first. He emphasized his unwavering belief in his Super Eagles squad and their commitment to securing victory.

"But this match is in the quarters. It is our second final; we played the first final before, the second final, we want to play the third final, and the fourth final, but for me, this match, specific match, all the match, 50% for each one, you must know, no favouritism, he reiterated. 

As the 2023 AFCON unfolds, tournament favourites like Morocco, Senegal, Algeria, and Egypt have all been eliminated. Nigeria now assumes the highest-ranking position among the eight remaining teams, while Angola finds themselves as the competition's lowest-ranked side.