Luanda - The round of 16 matches of the African Football Championship (CAN`2023) start Saturday with Angola and Namibia, at 6 pm, at the “de la Paix” Stadium, in Bouaké, after qualifying for the group stage with different trajectories.
Being among the 16 best teams was the initial goal, and now the goal is the quarter-finals, in an event in which the Angolan team participates for the ninth time, against three for the Namibian team.
Placed in group D, the “Palancas Negras” qualified for the second phase in the lead with seven points, the result of a draw with Algeria (1-1) and two victories against Mauritania (3-2) and Burkina Faso (2 -0).
The “Brave Warriors”, on the other hand, drew with Mali (0-0), suffered a defeat against South Africa (0-4) and finally surprised Tunisia (1-0).
When launching the challenge, the two coaches expressed their confidence in winning and continuing to make history in this 34th edition of the competition, which takes place in five cities in Côte d`Ivoire.
Pedro Gonçalves - Angola coach
For the national coach, the challenge against Namibia is another opportunity for Angola to mark a new historic moment and considers it to be in the presence of the biggest game of the last 14 years.
He stated that it will be a very difficult match, but that he is confident of victory, due to all the preparation carried out for it.
However, he acknowledged that Namibia is a very powerful and courageous opponent, adding that his team will need to remain balanced on the field or risk being defeated by the “dangerous Namibia”.
Collin Benjamin – Namibian coach
Collin considers that he has already achieved his goal in the passage to the other phase, and his team faces the challenge with happiness and without pressure.
“We have some good players, some have been in the national team since 2019, making us a very good team”, highlighted the coach of the third-placed team in the group stage, with three points.
For him, the determination, ambition and mentality of his athletes will be decisive in beating Angola, but to do so they will need to have a stable defensive sector.
He stated that being among the 16 teams in Africa is already an achievement for Namibian football and that this fact has served as a motivating element for the confrontation against the Angolans, to whom he attributes favoritism.MC/DOJ
