Angola’s players and officials have been showered with cash and expensive gifts ahead of Friday’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) quarterfinal against Nigeria’s Super Eagles .
The Palancas Negras, who defeated Namibia 3-0 in the Round of 16 on Saturday to advance to the quarterfinals against Nigeria, were also promised financial gifts if they reached the tournament’s semifinals.
According to the Angola Press Agency, Banco Angolano de Investimento, an Angolan bank has stated that it will reward each Angola player and coaching staff with five million Kwanzas (equal to around N5.41 million).
Aguinaldo Jaime, President of the Board of Directors of UNITEL, a private Angolan mobile phone firm, also handed each member of the Angolan delegation in Cote d’Ivoire an iPhone 15 with a year of free calls, SMS, and internet access.
SODIAM EP has also offered the team a substantial US$250,000 (equal to N225 million) if they beat the Super Eagles.
Both Nigeria and Angola would enter Friday’s quarterfinal match undefeated in the competition.
We know Angola’s match is going to be tougher – Coach Peseiro
Coach of the Super Eagles of Nigeria, Jose Peseiro, has said he and his boys are aware that the quarter final match against Angola will be tougher than the Cameroon game.
Peseiro said this while reacting to the 2-0 round of 16 win over the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon at the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Stadium, Abidjan, in the ongoing 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire.
Even though the Portuguese commended his players for the 2-0 win over Cameroon, he said the boys have been given a two-day off before work resumes again for the all important quarter final clash with Angola.
“I think my players know that. We are playing with a fantastic spirit now but we must be focused on the target and train more before the next match,” Peseiro said.