News

AFCON 2023: Boost for Nigeria as Angola lose goalkeeper Neblú red card appeal

Pedro Valdemar Soares Gonçalves will be on the sidelines to mentor Angola as he oversees his first AFCON quarter-final with the country since he started coaching them in 2019.

The Super Eagles of Nigeria have gotten a huge boost ahead of their AFCON 2023 quarter-final clash against Angola as the Portuguese-speaking nation will be without their first-choice goalkeeper, Soccernet.ng reports.

The Angolan goalkeeper, Adilson Cipriano da Cruz, popularly known as Neblú got a red card after just 16 minutes in their round of sixteen clash against Namibia when he handled the ball outside of the box.

He was given his marching orders and was expected to miss the next two games for Pedro Gonçalves’s side, but after an appeal, the 30-year-old will miss just one game, their quarter-final clash against Nigeria.

The reduction was given on the premise that the dismissed goalkeeper handled the ball outside the 18-yard box and did not constitute violent conduct or jeopardize the physical integrity of an opposing player.

This news is an added advantage for Jose Peseiro’s men as the opposition’s first-choice goalkeeper will be one less person to worry about.

Another Angolan midfielder, 21-year-old Beni Mukendi will also be absent from today’s game as he left the country’s camp and returned to his club, Casa Pia in Portugal after he played no minutes of football at the AFCON 2023 tournament.

His first game with the club after his return ended with an 8-0 defeat to Sporting Lisbon. He played 86 minutes in the match. 

Jose Peseiro is also sweating on the fitness of his first-choice goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali, after the 27-year-old picked up an injury in Nigeria’s clash against Cameroon.

Adefolahan Guerreiro

Adefolahan is a multilingual journalist and writer at Soccernet Nigeria. With a Bachelor's degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering and a track record of involvement in College sports, Adefolahan is focused on crafting engaging football content and utilising his language skills and extensive sports knowledge to enhance content accessibility for a global audience. He has interviewed Nigerian stars like Finidi George, Junior Lokosa, and Abraham Onahi Ogbu.

Share
Published by
Adefolahan Guerreiro

Recent Posts

Retired three-cap Super Eagles attacker back Finidi George to succeed with Nigeria job

Former Super Eagles attacker Oladimeji Lawal has backed new Nigeria coach Finidi George to achieve… Read More

8 hours ago

“My only regret is not signing for Real Madrid” – Super Eagles boss Finidi George

Former Ajax player Finidi George has revealed that his only regret during his playing days… Read More

11 hours ago

“They are must-win games”- Ndidi sends strong warning to South Africa, Benin ahead of World Cup qualifiers

Super Eagles midfielder Wilfred Ndidi has warned South Africa and Benin that Nigeria is targeting… Read More

13 hours ago

Time for a switch? Olise, Ugochukwu, Adeyemi, other top Nigeria-eligible footballers who missed out on EURO 2024 squad lists

Several Nigeria-eligible footballers are torn between the cross-cultural decision of the national team to play… Read More

15 hours ago

German star who beat Chrisantus Macauley to 2007 World Cup Golden Boot announces retirement

German midfielder Toni Kroos has announced that he will retirem from football after the upcoming… Read More

15 hours ago

Southgate’s snub of Tosin Adarabioyo in England’s EURO 2024 squad paves way for Super Eagles switch

Fulham FC defender Tosin Adarabioyo has been omitted from England’s provisional squad for the upcoming… Read More

16 hours ago